By: Maggie Fuller, BGSU Roma Aeterna 2023 Student

In history, one of the most relevant topics is colonization. I spent three weeks abroad in Italy studying Ancient Roman history in the summer of 2023. In my time in Italy, I occasionally noticed a lot of historical emphasis on the so-called Roman account of events. The perspective of history from groups who have been colonized by Rome is lacking. When looking at Pompeii, the ancient Roman city massacred by the volcano Mt. Vesuvius, historians note that the city was thriving at the time of its destruction. But who determines if Pompeii was thriving: The Romans, or the descendants of natives who inhabited Rome pre-colonization? The interpretation of the definition of thriving also changes the understanding of events. There are 158 years between the colonization of Pompeii and the eruption of Vesuvius. This gives a lot of time for traditions and cultures to be lost, especially with the shorter lifespans people had in ancient times. But with evidence through archaeology and recovered findings, a lot of the culture wasn’t lost. This proposes several questions about the lifestyle of the citizens of Pompeii. Were Pompeiians rejecting Roman cultural changes? Did they want Pompeii to become a symbol of wealth for Roman elites? Rome established an importance on social cohesion, but how could a society be unified if the colonizers are living in wealth and extravagance and the colonized are in poverty? This article will argue that the Romanization of Pompeii established that social cohesion was frugal and only existed in pre-established social classes. The wealth divides in Pompeii were correlated to the divide between indigenous descendant citizens and Roman citizens.