The ancient Romans were unaware of the massive danger posed by a volcano in their midst, so when Mount Vesuvius erupted in A.D. 79, thousands of people scrambled to escape several small seaside towns.

As the largest town closest to the volcano, Pompeii suffered the most damage and was essentially wiped off the map. It was rediscovered in the late 16th century, but it wasn’t until 1763 that the city was conclusively identified as Pompeii, when the Latin inscription rei publicae Pompeianorum — the state of Pompeii — was discovered at the site. Archaeological excavations at Pompeii continue to this day, with experts finding groundbreaking new information about the people who lived there in the first century and their tragic ends.