Most residents of Pompeii survived the eruption of Vesuvius
While the city is famous for its victims, thousands of inhabitants escaped during the 24-hour disaster, prompting a massive refugee relief effort funded by the Roman emperor.
The common image of Pompeii is a city frozen in an instant, its inhabitants snuffed out where they stood. However, the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79 was a cataclysm that unfolded over 24 hours, providing a window of time for the majority of the population to flee. Archaeological evidence suggests that while approximately 1,000 victims were found in the ash of Pompeii, the city had a total population of at least 10,000 people.
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