Talk:Pompeii

Population at time of eruption: three conflicting figures across article sections

The article gives at least three different population figures for Pompeii at the time of the 79 AD eruption, and they are not reconciled.

Lead section: "It was a wealthy town of 10,000 to 20,000 residents."

Geography section: "Pompeii covered a total of 64 to 67 ha and was home to 11,000 to 11,500 people, based on household counts."

History section (AD 62–79 subsection): "By 79, Pompeii had a population of 20,000, which had prospered from the region's renowned agricultural fertility and favourable location, although more recent estimates are up to 11,500 based on household counts."

Three distinct ranges — 10,000–20,000; 11,000–11,500; and 20,000 (with a separate acknowledgment that 11,500 is more recent) — appear in the same article without a clear statement of which is considered the current scholarly consensus, which represents an outdated estimate, and which is cited to which source. The lead's range of "10,000 to 20,000" is so wide as to be almost uninformative, and the body's implicit correction ("more recent estimates") is never reflected back in the lead. The article should settle on a preferred range, attribute it, and footnote the older figure as a historical estimate. Rome (talk) 17:51, 5 May 2026 (UTC)