, pompe, which suggests that either the community consisted of five hamletsor, perhaps, was settled by a family group (gens Pompeia)(Kraus 7).In the course of the eight century B.C., Greek and Etruscan colonizationstimulated the development of Pompeii as a city around the area of the Forum. A point forimportant trade routes, it became a place for trading towards the inland. Up until themiddle of the 5th century B.C., the city was dominated politically by the Etruscans. In thecourse of the 6th century B.C., the influence of Greek culture is also documented byterracottas, ceramics and architecture. A group of warriors from Samnium, calledSamnite, invaded the region in the 400s B.C. Pompeii remained a relatively unimportantvillage until the 200s B.C., when the town entered a prosperous period of building andexpansion. The Romans defeated the Samnites, and Pompeii became part of the emergingRoman state. Pompeii joined the Italic revolt against Rome, the Social War of 91-87 B.C.,and was crushed by Sulla. Although the city was not destroyed, it lost its autonomy,becoming a colony called Colonia Veernia Cornelia P, in honor of its conqueror L.Cornelius Sulla. By 79 AD, Latin had replaced Oscan as the principal language, and thelaws and culture of Imperial Rome were implanted. The romanization had began.Pompeii grew from a modest farming town to an important and sophisticatedindustrial and trading center. In 62 A.D., the first disaster, a terrible earthquake hit thecity. As the city was being rebuilt the second disaster struck. In the summer of A.D. 79,Vesuvius suddenly erupted with violence. Hot ashes, lava and stones poured into Pompeii.The eruption caught Pompeians by surprise: They heard the crash of falling roofs: aninstant more and the mountain-cloud seemed to roll towards them, dark and rapid, like atorrent; at the same time, it cast forth from its bosom a showe of ashes mixed with vastfragments of burning stone! over the crushing vin...
