It was a city of wealth and power, located about 150 miles south of Rome, close to the west

coast of Italy, the location took its name from the five separate burrows that made up

the community of over 10,000 people, and the way they lived there speaks of privilege.

The public bath houses, large private gardens, and beautiful artwork could all be found

throughout the city.

Water provided by an aqueduct brought pressurized water into buildings and homes, plus an

elaborate toilet and septic system all worked together to make life a lot easier on everyone.

It was a retreat town for the wealthy of the area, and a home to the hardworking people

who kept it all running.

Along the way, folks were given every opportunity to rise above, to climb the ladder and build

their own fortune, and then, a little less than 2,000 years ago, it all came to a sudden

and deadly end when a nearby volcano erupted.

In its wake, all we have left is a city frozen in time.

Pompeii

There's no doubt that wealth can certainly act like insulation against many of the challenges

life has in store for us, but as the tragic story of Pompeii reveals, sometimes nothing

can stand in the way of bad things happening, no matter how much cash we have in the bank.

For one woman in Ireland, those bad things arrived at the end of a long and privileged life,

but it wasn't a natural disaster that brought her all down upon her, or a literal cloud

of ash that stripped her world of beauty.

It was an idea that was much more dangerous than its commonness would have us believe.

Folklore

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