History Extra logo
  • Subscribe
  • Newsletter sign up
  • Download app
  • Join our Academy
History Extra logo
The official website for BBC History Magazine
  • Period
    • Back to Main menu
    • Ancient Egypt
    • Roman
    • Viking
    • Anglo-Saxon
    • Medieval
    • Tudor
    • Elizabethan
    • Georgian
    • Victorian
    • Second World War
      • Back to Period
      • Browse all periods
  • People
    • Back to Main menu
    • Tutankhamun
    • Richard III
    • Henry VIII
    • Elizabeth I
    • Queen Victoria
    • Winston Churchill
    • Cleopatra
    • Napoleon Bonaparte
      • Back to People
      • Browse all people
  • Topics
    • Back to Main menu
    • Kings and queens
    • Weird and wonderful
    • Sex and love
    • Social history
    • Religious history
    • Women's history
    • Historical Q&As
    • Heritage visits
    • History hero
    • Historical recipes
    • Turning points in British History
      • Back to Topics
      • Browse all topics
  • Video
  • Podcast
    • Back to Main menu
    • Podcast series
  • Quizzes
  • Membership
    • Back to Main menu
    • Membership area
      • Back to Membership
      • Member discounts
    • Join HistoryExtra
    • BBC History Mag
    • Academy
      • Back to Membership
      • Royal residences: secrets and scandals
      • Nazi Germany
      • Victorian Life with Ruth Goodman
      • Late-medieval England course
      • Roman Britain course
      • D-Day course
      • Witchcraft course
      • Elizabethans course
      • Vikings course
      • Regency course
  • Subscribe
  • Newsletter sign up
  • Download app
  • Join our Academy
  • Home
  • Period
  • Pompeii: everything you wanted to know

Pompeii was a bustling Roman city, home to thousands of people living in the shadow of Mount Vesuvius. But in August AD 79 the city – and nearby Herculaneum – was transformed into an ash-covered hellscape of destruction and death when the volcano erupted. Learn everything you need to know about this notable historical event and what it can tell us about life in ancient Rome...

A 17th-century engraving of the Mount Vesuvius eruption of AD 79, by Athanasius Kircher (Photo by Shawshots/Alamy Stock Photo)
Roman

Your ultimate guide to Pompeii, plus 8 fascinating facts about the ancient Roman city

Membership

Pompeii: a remarkable window into ancient Roman life. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Premium
Membershipaudio

Pompeii: everything you wanted to know. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Pompeii,Italy
Roman

What was life like in ancient Pompeii? Mary Beard shares an A-Z guide

Premium
Daisy Dunn.
Membershipaudio

The destruction of Pompeii. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Premium
Illustration by Jonty Clark
Membership

Ye olde travel guide: Pompeii 79 Ad. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

More Roman history

Membership

A guide to the Roman army, plus 10 facts about life in the legions

Premium
A relief on Trajan's Column shows Roman troops crossing the Danube during the war against the Dacians. Victory was the framework upon which Pax Romana was built (Photo by akg-images/Erich Lessing)
Membership

The Pax Romana: how the Romans maintained peace at the point of a sword. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Premium
Membershipaudio

Blood, sweat & marble: examining ancient bodies. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Slave markets – as shown in this engraving – were a staple of most Roman towns (Image by Alamy)
Roman

Ancient Roman slavery: what was life like as an enslaved person?

Sign up for the weekly HistoryExtra newsletter

Sign up to receive our newsletter!

By entering your details, you are agreeing to site title terms and conditions and privacy policy. You can unsubscribe at any time.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

History Extra logo
  • Visit us on Facebook
  • Visit us on Twitter
  • Visit us on Instagram
  • Visit us on Youtube
  • Visit us on Rss
  • About Us
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Code of Conduct
  • History Magazine Subscriptions
  • FAQ
  • Contact Us
  • Vacancies
  • Licensing
  • Find Us
  • Manage Privacy Settings
Immediate company logo in white
History Extra is owned and published by Immediate Media Company Limited. BBC History Magazine is published by Immediate Media Company Limited under licence from BBC Studios Distribution© Immediate 2025