A Tour of the Great Roman Cities
Pompeii
Governors, whoever has the opportunity to rule the city of Pompeii will be a lucky man. Pompeii is a beautiful city where many of Rome’s powerful figures maintain vacation homes. Truly, there is nothing that could trouble this paradise save the occasional tremor. Even then, as Pliny notes, they are no cause for alarm since they are so common in the region.
Pompeii is located in the Campania region of Italy, south of Rome along the Via Appia (Appian Road), the oldest Roman road. When you come to Pompeii, you will find a city along the Bay of Naples with Mount Vesuvius nearby. The mountain is a beautiful mountain with gardens and vineyards on it, taking advantage of the mountains rich soil.
Unlike Florence, Pompeii is an old city, only two hundred years younger than Rome herself. The city was originally founded by the Oscans who mingled with the many colonists and settlers from my native Greece. Later in turn another people called the Samnites conquered the region. Unfortunately, during the period of the Civil Wars, Pompeii chose to rise up with some of the other cities of the Campania which resulted in Pompeii’s reconquest and being made a Roman colony.
When you are in the Campania you should remember that the Greek presence there is so great that the south of Italy was called Magna Graecia (Greater Greece) by the early Romans. Though the area is thoroughly Roman, the Campania has a long and proud history and its Greek heritage remains a point of pride for the inhabitants of the region.
Siracuse (Syracuse)
Governors, while Pompeii was founded as a native Italian city amongst a number of Greek cities, Syracuse was founded purely as a Greek city. In fact, Syracuse was the greatest Greek city of the West and one of the great cities of the Greek world.
Syracuse is located on the east side of the island of Sicily. The city was originally founded by colonists from the great city of Corinth on mainland Greece. The city is nearly as ancient as Rome and was founded only twenty years or so after the founding of Rome (733 BC).
The people of Syracuse came into contact with the greatest enemy of Rome, the Carthaginians, long before Rome herself did. Syracuse fought and defeated the Carthaginians, leading to a settlement that divided Sicily between Syracuse and the Greek on the east side of the island, and the Carthaginians on the west side of the island.
Syracuse also played an important role in the tragic war between Athens and Sparta: the Peloponnesian War. The Athenians unwisely tried to force Syracuse into the war on their side but failed and lost their army and their ships. In fact, the loss at Syracuse likely cost Athens the war and her Empire.
In addition to the important role Syracuse has played in history, it has also been a major center of learning and arts for the Greek world. The great tragedy writer Aeschylus spent his last days and died in Syracuse. The great poet Sappho came to Syracuse after she was exiled. And, of course, the great philosopher and inventor Archimedes lived and died in Syracuse (killed, unfortunately by a Roman soldier during a siege).
Since becoming a Roman city, Syracuse has been at peace and has focused on trade. Being at the center of the Mediterranean Sea, Syracuse is well-placed to benefit from the peace and prosperity that Roman rule has brought throughout the Mediterranean.
Governors, after Rome, Syracuse is the most ancient and sophisticated city that you will rule. It is a city rich in history and heritage. When you are sent to rule Syracuse, make sure you remember the important role this city has played in the history of Greece and of Rome.
