Pompeii

‘Between the dark shadow of a mountain and the sparkling waters of the Bay of Naples there once lay a lively, bustling town.’ Pompeii was much like any other town on Italy’s western shore, but the events of 79 AD (or 79 CE as we must now refer to it) when Vesuvius erupted were to change her future for ever. Richard Platt traces the development of the city focusing on a single dwelling which grows from a simple hut surrounded by fields and farmland to a richly decorated Roman townhouse. Detailed artwork depicts the landscape as the cluster of farms swells and a small town grows up, its streets becoming increasingly busy. A cross-section through the house reveals a luxurious and spacious interior with fountains and magnificently furnished rooms. We see the ebb and flow of the house’s fortunes when a terrible earthquake strikes in 62 CE. The climax is the eruption of Vesuvius when all is showered in ash and dust. Subsequent spreads look at the devastated landscape with the house buried under several metres of volcanic ash, the disruptive raids of later treasure hunters, the excavation of the city and the ruins available for all to see today. Richard Platt is a knowledgeable guide, well served by his illustrator, but the volume lacks something in sparkle.