Pompeii preserves the most intact fortifications surviving since antiquity. Throughout its 600-year history the city rebuilt its defences three times and continuously invested in their maintenance and development. Each intervention was a pivotal event in the history of the city, signalling dramatic shifts in its urban, social, and architectural framework. Fortifications, whether in terms of money, resources, or the manpower required to build them, represent by far the most copious investment in any ancient city. Although their military character is undisputed, the role of fortifications in...