![Picture](/uploads/3/0/6/4/30649039/9165339.jpg)
Scientists and archaeologists beleive that Pompeii was founded by the Oscans (or Osci) in the sixth or seventh century BC, it was only a few hundred years later in 80 AD that the roman leaders could see the importance of Pompeii and captured it. Pompeii was now in the roman region known as Campania, and is still called Campania to this day. Pompeii was close to another city/town known as Herculaneum. Pompeii had a population of roughly 20,000 within its city limits, with many others residing ontop of the surrounding hills, and many other slaves that were in Pompeii during the years leading up to its destruction. 160 years after its capture by the romans, the city had a complex water system, an amphitheatre and also a port, Which made the city important for trading and naval movements. in the 160 years it was in roman control, the cities economy had boomed and was now one of the most important cities in the roman empire.
Information taken from - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pompeii
Information taken from - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pompeii