The Surprisingly Modern Urban Life in Pompeii That Existed Before Mount Vesuvius Erupted

Weird History explains what life was like in the surprisingly modern city of Pompeii, noting that it was considered a desirable resort area that offered wealthy vacationing Romans a less populated place to unwind.

The city of Rome was like the Manhattan the Roman Empire. ...The summers could be unbearably hot and it was packed with rich people who wanted to escape to extravagant resorts during the hottest months. Many of those resorts, as it happened, were in Pompeii.

Pompeii had a great deal to offer residents and vacationers.

In fact, the city was an ideal vacation spot. ...it had some remarkable architecture, including a large amphitheater where top tier shows were staged. And most importantly, it was a thriving commercial center with plenty of places for rich people to spend their money, including factories, shops, bath house, and brothel.

There were even fast-food joints that worked similarly to those of today.

Back then, fast food joints were known as thermopoleiums, and they worked very similarly to how takeout still works today. Jars of pre-prepared foodwere displayed on a counter. And while any passerby could just stop in and pick up a meal, they were mostly used by impoverished families who couldn't afford to cook at home.

This was of course, before the famous Mount Vesuvius stratovolcano erupted and engulfed the city as it stood.

In the year 79 C-E, the volcano Mount Vesuvius erupted, burying the Roman town of Pompeii and hundreds of its inhabitants beneath a sea of lava and a cloud of ash.

A Timeline of Pompeii Before the Eruption An Eerie Recreation of the Last 48 Hours in Pompeii

An Intense Animation That Imagines What Might Have Happened During the Last 48 Hours of Pompeii

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