Abstract: This lecture proposes that the two so-called villas belonging to the site known in antiquity as “Oplontis” were part of an important seaside suburb of Pompeii (three Roman miles to the south). The place-name “Oplontis,” along with the names of the other buried cities of Pompeii, Herculaneum, and Stabiae, appears—How did they know?—on a medieval copy of a fourth-century Roman Itinerary. From the earliest excavations to the final, surprising excavation of the 31 m swimming pool, scholars have been taken with the high-quality fresco, marble, and sculptural decoration and what it means in terms of super-elite taste and image-projection. This luxurious dwelling was, however, abandoned at the time of the eruption because it failed to recover after the disastrous earthquake the preceded the eruption by 17 years. In contrast, the site known as Villa B lacks—aside from its grand two-story peristyle—any pretensions to being a luxury villa. Rather, given the documented 1,431 Dressel 2-3 amphorae studied by the Oplontis Project, and the chemical analysis of the residues identified in the amphorae, Oplontis B was a wine-bottling emporium of considerable size. Unlike Villa A, Oplontis B was going at full tilt at the time of the eruption. Hundreds of amphorae stacked upside-down around the peristyle to dry after having been washed for refilling with wine that was to be shipped from Pompeii’s river port. Perhaps the most sensational discovery was that of 54 human skeletons in a barrel- vaulted room close to the ancient shoreline. They were victims of three killers: a tsunami; collapse of the barrel vaulted over their heads; and poisonous gas. Some of the skeletons’ bones were commingled an unusual quantity of coins and jewelry. Unfortunately, after the hubbub about the gold and jewelry (1984) died down, the Italian archaeological service closed it—seemingly permanently—for lack of funding. The road seems clear, now that the Oplontis Project has invested much labor and money into the study of the villas of Oplontis—paving the way for reopening Villa B to the public. In June 2023 we closed our final trench (46). Three further seasons will be devoted the study of all finds and preparation of the publications.