Final answer:
The population of Pompeii prior to the eruption of Mount Vesuvius was estimated to be between 10,000 and 20,000 inhabitants. This catastrophe in 79 CE covered the city in deep layers of ash, preserving it and providing invaluable archaeological insights into Roman urban life.
Step-by-step explanation:
The estimated population of Pompeii prior to the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE is not definitively known but is generally believed to have been approximately 10,000 to 20,000 people. This population size was typical for a Roman town of that era, as the larger cities such as Rome and Constantinople were the exception to the rule, with populations in the hundreds of thousands or more. When Vesuvius erupted on August 24-25, it sent a cloud of ash south, covering Pompeii and other cities in tephra layers up to 25 meters deep, which preserved a detailed insight into Roman life during the Pax Romana.
The rescue efforts and escapes during the eruption suggest that some people may have survived initially, but the following pyroclastic flows would have destroyed remaining structures and inhabitants. Pliny the Younger's letters provide a significant account of the eruption, describing the events from a distance and offering key details about the impact of the disaster on the surrounding areas.