DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.61617#0040
IO
POMPEII
In the Social War, when, in the summer of 90 b.c., the Sam-
nite army marched into Campania, Pompeii allied itself with
the insurgents; as a consequence, in 89, it was besieged by
Sulla, but without success. Two years later, Sulla went to Asia
to conduct the war against Mithridates. Returning victorious
in the spring of 83 b.c., he led his army into Campania, where
he spent the winter of 83-82 ; his soldiers, grown brutal in the
Asiatic war and accustomed to every kind of license, may have
proved unwelcome guests for the Pompeians.
The sequel came in the year 80, when a colony of Roman
veterans was settled in Pompeii under the leadership of Publius
Sulla, a nephew of the Dictator. Cicero later made a speech
in behalf of this Sulla, defending him against the charge that
he had taken part in the conspiracy of Catiline and had tried to
induce the old residents of Pompeii to join in the plot. From
this speech we learn that Sulla’s reorganization of the city was
accomplished with so great regard for the interests of the
Pompeians, that they ever after held him in grateful remem-
brance. We learn, also, that soon after the founding of the
colony disputes arose between the old residents and the colonists,
about the public walks {ambiilationes} and matters connected
with the voting; the arrangements for voting had probably
been so made as to throw the decision always into the hands
of the colonists. The controversy was referred to the patrons
of the colony, and settled by them. From this time on, the life
of Pompeii seems not to have differed from that of the other
small cities of Italy.
As the harbor of Pompeii was on the Sarno, which flowed at
some distance from the city, there must have been a small
settlement at the landing place. To this probably belonged a
group of buildings, partly excavated in 1880-81, lying just across
the Sarno canal (canale del Bottaro), about a third of a mile
from the Stabian Gate. Here were found many skeletons, and
with them a quantity of gold jewellery, which was afterward
placed in the Museum at Naples. The most reasonable
explanation of the discovery is, that the harbor was here, and
that these persons, gathering up their valuables, fled from
Pompeii at the time of the eruption either in order to escape by
POMPEII
In the Social War, when, in the summer of 90 b.c., the Sam-
nite army marched into Campania, Pompeii allied itself with
the insurgents; as a consequence, in 89, it was besieged by
Sulla, but without success. Two years later, Sulla went to Asia
to conduct the war against Mithridates. Returning victorious
in the spring of 83 b.c., he led his army into Campania, where
he spent the winter of 83-82 ; his soldiers, grown brutal in the
Asiatic war and accustomed to every kind of license, may have
proved unwelcome guests for the Pompeians.
The sequel came in the year 80, when a colony of Roman
veterans was settled in Pompeii under the leadership of Publius
Sulla, a nephew of the Dictator. Cicero later made a speech
in behalf of this Sulla, defending him against the charge that
he had taken part in the conspiracy of Catiline and had tried to
induce the old residents of Pompeii to join in the plot. From
this speech we learn that Sulla’s reorganization of the city was
accomplished with so great regard for the interests of the
Pompeians, that they ever after held him in grateful remem-
brance. We learn, also, that soon after the founding of the
colony disputes arose between the old residents and the colonists,
about the public walks {ambiilationes} and matters connected
with the voting; the arrangements for voting had probably
been so made as to throw the decision always into the hands
of the colonists. The controversy was referred to the patrons
of the colony, and settled by them. From this time on, the life
of Pompeii seems not to have differed from that of the other
small cities of Italy.
As the harbor of Pompeii was on the Sarno, which flowed at
some distance from the city, there must have been a small
settlement at the landing place. To this probably belonged a
group of buildings, partly excavated in 1880-81, lying just across
the Sarno canal (canale del Bottaro), about a third of a mile
from the Stabian Gate. Here were found many skeletons, and
with them a quantity of gold jewellery, which was afterward
placed in the Museum at Naples. The most reasonable
explanation of the discovery is, that the harbor was here, and
that these persons, gathering up their valuables, fled from
Pompeii at the time of the eruption either in order to escape by