Now look at the beautiful marble and bronze statues across the street. Don’t you want to try some roasted mice stuffed with nuts and rose petals? You stop at a market, where you sample dozens of delicacies. It has a library, theaters, and grand temples. You’re surprised by how modern this ancient city seems. “Salve!” he squawks-“hello” in Latin, the language of the Roman Empire. A parrot calls out from the shoulder of a shopkeeper. Vendors shout for your attention, offering slices of juicy melon and sizzling hunks of roasted meat. The main street teems with people-women swishing by in long robes, men in tunics, children with leather sandals that slap against the hot stone streets. It’s a typical day in beautiful Pompeii, in the year 79 A.D.
