Page:General History of Europe 1921.djvu/236

 i66 General History of Europe Hellenistic Greek works, are the most striking examples of the art that are to be found in the Roman period. 262. Pompeii. Fortunately one of the provincial cities has been preserved to us with much that we might have seen there if we could have visited it nearly two thousand years ago. In the A STREET IN ANCIENT POMPEII AS IT APPEARS TODAY The pavement and sidewalk are in perfect condition, as when they were first covered by the falling ashes. At the left is a public fountain, and in the foreground is a street crossing. Of the buildings on this street only half a story still stands, except at the left, where we see the entrances of two shops, with the tops of the doors in position and the walls preserved to the level of the second floor above year 79 of the Christian Era an eruption of Mt. Vesuvius sud- denly overwhelmed the little city of Pompeii and covered it with ashes. Recent excavations show us the very streets and houses, the forum and the public buildings, the shops and the markets, and a host of other things illustrating the life of the people of this town as it was in the days when they were suddenly buried be- neath the ashes of the volcano.