The homeowning families and citizens were, for the most part, very wealthy. There was no middle class in Roman society, and the divide between the wealthy and the underclass was sharp. The underclass was primarily made up of slaves, traders, and laborers.The effects of the volcanic ash and the superhot gases effectively vaporized the remains of most of the victims of Vesuvius, leaving only a few hint of that person's position in life. Sometimes an item such as a ring with an imperial seal indicated that the bearer was a slave owned by some important person or another. Sometimes physical evidence, as with the rings and bones of the victim at the right, survived and provided more information about health, self-adornment and personal grooming.
Click here to see photos of Vesuvius' victims.