Pompeii [antikvár]

HISTORICAL NOTESThe ancient Pompeii lies at the foot of Vesuvius, overlooking the River Sarno valley, not far from the sea. The site is particularly suitable for a human settlement as it is situated on the edge of a fertile agricultural area with good communication possibilities by land or sea. Owing to its position Pompeii was the natural sea landing place for the inland towns such as Nola, Nocera and Acerra and its port was perhaps at the mouth of the Sarno. Infact Pompeii's prosperity through the centuries was due to its excellent topographic position. However the town did not have its own history and is seldom mentioned by the ancient writers, we must therefore reconstruct events in general terms especially making use of the data furnished by the archeological excavations. We know nothing certain of the first human settlements here but as in the Sarno valley evidence of life going back to the Iron Age has been found we can assume that in the IX-VIII century BC in the place where Pompeii was later to be established there was a village or groups of people the ones who at that time populated the ancient Campania. As Pompeii established itself its contacts with the civilizations prospering in Campania became more frequent and enormously influenced the life of Pompeii. An important Etruscan centre, Capua was, infact not far away overlooking the plain of the River Vol turno. Discussions continue as to how much the Etruscans of Capua influenced the life and history of Pompeii, but if as some writers say there was an etruscan period of the town, it is here in the oldest urbanistic arrangements, in the architecture and other manifestations of art and life that we find evidence of a continual and prolific contact between the Etruscan world and Pompeii. From the VI century BC the town was also influenced by the neighbouring Greek colonies, especially Cuma, and infact a Doric style temple was built in the Triangular Forum during this period.However in the second half of the V century other Italic peoples, the Samnites, spread out from inland and settled in Campania. Pompeii was not spared from this invasion and, although we do not know the exact year, we believe the Samnite community was formed here about 425 BC.- The town was later involved in the struggles between Rome and Sannio and in 310 the Pompeians