Pompeii, destroyed in AD 79, provides exceptional archaeological data. This work examines the archaeological evidence in the light of recent work by archaeologists and historians, and using innovative techniques derived from the disciplines of geography, architecture and the social sciences. The author treats Pompeii as a city rather than as a series of archaeological fragments, emphasizing the relationship between social action and urban space. This text provides a full account of the development of public buildings and brings the city to life by locating individual neighbourhoods, places of work and areas where leisure activities took place. It stresses that Pompeii was a social product of Roman society and attempts to explain its development. The evidence provided is used to enhance our understanding of classical cities in general and of the workings of the ancient economy.