The geographical setting and natural features of Campania Flashcards
What year were Pompeii and Herculaneum destroyed?
79 AD
What natural disaster destroyed Pompeii and Herculaneum?
A volcanic eruption.
What covered the sites of Pompeii and Herculaneum after the eruption?
Layers of ash.
Where are Herculaneum and Pompeii located?
At the foot of Mount Vesuvius, South of Rome in Campania.
What river is Pompeii built on?
The Sarno River.
What body of water is Herculaneum situated along?
The Bay of Naples.
What type of land are both cities built on?
A flat plateau.
When was Pompeii found?
In the 6th century BC.
Who were the original settlers of Pompeii?
The Oscans.
Which cultures influenced Pompeii after the Oscans?
Greeks, Samnites, and Romans.
What was Herculaneum’s origin story?
Settled by Oscans, influenced by Greek mythology.
Who controlled Herculaneum before the Romans?
The Samnites.
Who is thought to have founded Herculaneum?
Hercules.
Why did people settle around volcanoes?
The land was good and fertile for agriculture.
What is unique about Mount Vesuvius?
It is the only active volcano in Europe.
When was the last eruption of Mount Vesuvius?
In 1944.
Which city was affected worse by Mount Vesuvius?
Herculaneum.
What did Pliny the Elder say about Campania?
[Campania is] one of the loveliest places on earth.
What resources did the Bay of Campania supply?
Fishing and shellfish industries.
Why was the land around Vesuvius fertile?
Materials and minerals from the volcano created deep fertile soils.
What crops were grown in the fertile land?
Grapes, peaches, apricots, lemons, cherries, plums, pears, figs, cabbages, and onions.
What was highly exported from the region?
Pumice.
What did Cato say about the figs from Herculaneum?
The figs from Herculaneum were most desirable.
