Rise and vine: the phenomenon of opportunistic agricultural gardens in post-earthquake Pompeii, 62–79 CE

Journal article

This study examines the emergence of 35 agricultural gardens that were newly created or expanded in Pompeii after the earthquake of 62 CE, focusing on 24 of these gardens in Regions I and II alone. Building on Wilhelmina Jashemski’s (1990) estimate that 9.7 percent of Pompeii’s urban area was dedicated to agriculture, this research reveals an elite-driven, opportunistic response to crisis and increasing commercialization in the mid-1st c. CE. Through a novel methodological approach, this study demonstrates how landowners adapted urban spaces for cash crops, balancing economic opportunity with local food security. These gardens were not developed through state intervention but were rather the result of private enterprise, playing a key role in urban resilience and socio-economic adaptability. Beyond profit, they contributed to improved nutrition and infrastructure. By reconstructing Pompeii’s final years through its green spaces, this research reframes agriculture as integral to the city’s economy, crisis response, and urban transformation in the lead-up to 79 CE.

Authors: Venner, J

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Journal: Journal of Roman Archaeology
• Volume: 38
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 344-384
• Publication date: 2026-04-13
• Acceptance date: 2025-04-15
• DOI: 10.1017/s1047759425100573
• EISSN: 2331-5709
• ISSN: 1047-7594
• Language: English
• Keywords: Pompeii; agriculture; resilience; gardens; urbanism; earthquake