Structural Integrity Assessment of Pompeii’s City Wall Under Roman Artillery Fire: A Finite Element Approach †

During Sulla’s siege of Pompeii in 89 BC projectiles were launched using Roman artillery, leaving visible craters on the fortified walls. The city was later buried by the eruption in 79 AD, preserving both its architectural layout and the damaged wall surfaces, and was excavated in the early 20th century. This study focuses on simulating projectile impacts on Grey Tuff to estimate impact velocities and penetration depths, offering insights into the destructive capability of Roman weapons. Material models are developed, followed by finite element analysis. Mesh convergence, velocity calibration, and angular impact studies are performed for both ballista and dart to better understand impact mechanics and crater formation.