All these things together—fertile land, a defendable location, and a water route for trade and communication—made Pompeii very appealing, regardless of the fact that it sat at the foot of the volcano, Mount Vesuvius. Pompeii became a wealthy and successful city.

The big businesses in the area were the wool industry, farming, and international trading by sea. There were also merchant bankers, artists, craftspeople, laborers and the slaves and servants who worked for the wealthy people.

Ruins of the ancient city of Pompeii still stand today. Tourists can visit the ruins, and get a feeling for what it was like to live there in 79 A.D.