Pompeii, at this time, was a thriving community, and it was expanding and doing quite well without any help from Rome. But the Pompeiians were not Roman citizens so they had to resort to war to become citizens of Rome (Aldrete 221). We don't know how long the war lasted, but Rome emerged victorious. Less than a decade after the war, a Roman general named Lucius Cornelius Sulla who earlier besieged Pompeii in 89 BC, wanted revenge when the Pompeiians were granted citizenship by Rome. According to the author Beard, General Sulla settled his veteran soldiers and their families at Pompeii, about a couple thousand in count. Pompeii was made into a Roman colony and its name was changed to Colonia Cornelia Veneria Pompeiana: moreover, ˜The Cornelian Colony of Pompeii,' under divine protection of Venus (Beard 39). .
In 62 AD a very powerful earthquake struck Pompeii flattening much of the city. In the book, Pompeii Awakened: A Story of Rediscovery, written by Judith Harris, the once flourishing economy was lost. This was a severe setback for the city. Pompeii asked Rome for help. A few years later under a new Roman Emperor by the name of Vespasian, money was sent and the rebuilding of Pompeii began (Harris 13). The city began to thrive again as the Romans quickly rebuilt. By now Pompeii had 15,000 to 20,000 inhabitants and was one of the wealthiest cities of the region of Campania (Aldrete 221).
By August 79 AD, the rebuilding of Pompeii was nearing its end. Businesses were back in trade, homes were almost finished with their renovations, and prostitutes were back in their brothels engaged in their practice (Harris 15). But on 24, August 79 AD, none of the citizens of Pompeii had any idea that their mountain, Vesuvius was actually a very dangerous volcano. .
Because Pompeii was near Mt. Vesuvius, the city had a very fertile and fruitful region of soil and had a good water holding capacity that made it possible for various crops to be harvested from the area (Beard 156).
