Commerce

The commerce of Pompeii was based on the region's booming agricultural industry and convinent location near the Bay of Naples and the Sarno River. Pompeii, home to approximately twenty thousand, was located in the Roman region of Campania on the Bay of Naples (Aldrete 229; MNSU). Campania was renowned for its fertile soil and agricultural success (Aldrete 229). Pompeii itself was near the sea, and had a port on the Sarno River. Pompeii became a center of trade for Campania from which its resources were exported, and as a result a thriving town with many businesses (Aldrete 229-231). Campania had a crop yield six times higher than the average of the rest of the peninsula; its soil was rich in phosphorus and potash created by the volcano that none of the population knew existed (MNSU). Some areas had up to three grain harvests per year. The hills surrounding Pompeii housed flocks of sheep, olive groves, and wine (MNSU). Sheep wool, olive oil, and wine were in high demand, and these valuable resources fetched good prices in the empire, making Pompeii a very wealthy city with a high standard of living (Aldrete 229; MNSU). As a center of trade and wealth, Pompeii was home to many businesses. Archaeologists have discovered the existence of eighty-five occupations, and countless small inns, 30 bakeries, and 150 dining establishments have been unearthed so far (Moulton 2:181; Aldrete 229). Professional graffitti artists were paid to advertise competitive prices and wares on the side of buildings (Aldrete 229). Wealthy Romans, attracted by the prosperity and beauty of Pompeii, built villas, or vacation homes, near the city, and as a result poured some of their wealth into the city’s infrastructure (MNSU). Pompeii was a major producer of wool, olive oil, wine, and grain, a center of international trade, and a resort for the wealthy. Its destruction in A.D.79 impacted not only the surrounding countryside, but much of the eastern Roman Empire (MNSU).