Cities of Vesuvius Author:Michael Grant Michael Grant, a pre-eminent classical historian, provides a vivid look at the two doomed cities, their arts, trades, public and private life, squares, temples, and much more. All of it preserved when the cities were buried by the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD. — The eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD buried the cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum benea... more »th a layer of ash and pumice several meters deep. The disaster was so swift and complete that, while many of the inhabitants escaped, the materials of their daily lives were preserved intact, from the graffiti on the walls to the fruit on the market stalls, giving us a near-perfect representation of what life was like in a Roman provincial town of the 1st century. Michael Grant here shows these two cities?their arts and trades, public and private lives, and their squares, temples, pubs, and brothels?1900 years after being suddenly entombed. Sixteen pages of photographs and city plans, as well as floor plans for public buildings and private homes, are included.« less