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When the Ancient Roman city of Pompeii was destroyed by a volcanic eruption in 79 CE, it had a population of about 8,000. At that time in the entire Mediterranean world there were only a handful of places with a population of more than 25,000. Why does this make the position of Rome all the more remarkable?

Answer: At the time, Rome had a population of at least 250,000. The dominance of the city probably accounts for the saying, ‘all roads lead to Rome’.

Source: History of the World by Hugh Thomas

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