The city where this story takes place is the ancient Roman city Pompeii, Italy. The city is set less than one third of a mile from the Mediterranean Sea. It is sweltering hot in the summer there, and the story takes place in the late summer in August. The landscape is very rich, as Vesuvius's volcanic soil is full of minerals that help nourish the local plants. Most people have crops, as just outside the city there are many flourishing farmlands where many people live. Sweet wine is what the city is famous for, since it has great grape vineyards that make the best wine of that era. The city is set up so that streets divide it into blocks that resemble islands, called insulae. The Bay of Naples is near the main character's home, and is where many rich people in Pompeii would go to cool off...