But these are recent stories. Herculaneum has not always been the jewel of the Bay: it began as a simple fishing village, and even at the time of the eruption there were only 3 or 4 thousand inhabitants, far fewer than Pompeii. But in its last years of life, it had completely changed.
The rich men of the capital competed to build themselves villas overlooking the sea. The walls, the temples, the fountains, everything had recently been restored and embellished. Those who could afford it rushed to decorate their homes with mosaics, paintings and luxurious furniture. Craftsmen created fabulous jewellery, true masterpieces of goldsmiths work….
You know, over the centuries they have all gone to war over it, my Herculaneum. First the Oscans, then the Etruscans and the Samnites. Then the inevitable happened: it came under the dominion of Rome, until it was conquered in 89 BC.
But it didnt all go too badly, did it? Even a simple guy like me can appreciate certain classic Roman comforts. What’s that you say? The theatre, the banquets? Nah, I was talking about aqueducts and sewers. Don’t turn up your noses! The Romans may have conquered the world with their legions, but they dominated it with their lifestyle! Running water, clean streets and public toilets: that’s the winning recipe!
It’s such a pity that today you can only see a small part of ancient Herculaneum. Archaeological excavations have unearthed about a quarter of it. The rest is still underground, right under the feet (and houses) of the modern Herculaneum residents.