Pompeii and the eruption of Mount Vesuvius

On August 24th, 79 CE Mount Vesuvius erupted after 700 years of being dormant, destroying Pompeii, Herculaneum, Boscoreale, Oplontis, Stabiae and other villas nearby. After the initial eruption, volcanic ash and hail of pumice stones showered Pompeii for the next 12 hours. Many of the residents of Pompeii fled the city when the signs of the eruption began however about 2,000 people died in the city. Those that stayed behind did not die until August 25th when a cloud of toxic gas poured into the city and many were crushed or died of asphyxiation. The ash from the eruption buried the city in about 4 to 6 m. (13 to 20 ft.) of ash, which entombed many of the dead and preserved the city until it was unearthed in the 1700s.The city was frozen in time, an amphitheater, villas and other homes dating back to the 4th century BCE, were all found under all the ash. The buildings and the remains inside revealed what daily life could have been for the ancient Romans. 

Much of what we know from this day comes from the account of Pliny the Younger who was at the time visiting his uncle, Pliny the Elder, west of the Bay of Naples. He wrote his account in two letters to the historian Tacitus. Pliny described what he saw as “a dark and horrible cloud charged with combustible matter suddenly broke and set forth. Some bewailed their own fate. Others prayed to die.” According to Pliny, the eruption lasted 8 hours. His uncle, who was a commander in the Roman fleet, had gone to investigate and aid the citizens and was unfortunately asphyxiated by the toxic gas.  Pliny, who was only 17 years old at time of the eruption, had decided not to join his uncle and went on to become a writer and administrator. 

Although some of the citizens who had fled Pompeii returned to attempt to dig out their homes and salvage their valuables, many were left buried and forgotten for centuries. It was not until 1748 when traces of Pompeii were found by a farmer on his vineyard that excavations began. Since that time there have been ongoing excavation projects on Pompeii. Just recently there was a chariot found at a villa outside of Pompeii (link to article below). The discovery of Pompeii led to the inspiration of many artists, architects and potters of the time, bringing about the Neoclassical style and the end of the Rococo style. The remains of those 2,000 who died during the eruption have also been discovered at the site of Pompeii.

Despite the tragedy that occurred that late summer in 79 CE there are once again populations of people living around Mount Vesuvius. The last major eruption was in 1631 and it’s last eruption was in 1944, where 26 people died,  with another expected in the future. Today Mount Vesuvius is monitored 24/7 via the Vesuvius Observatory for signs of eruptions and there is an emergency evacuation plan to move the populace to safety within 72 hours. Another eruption from Mount Vesuvius could devastate the lives of the 700,000 people who live in the “death zones”. 

Sources: 

http://www.pompeii.org.uk/s.php/tour-the-two-letters-written-by-pliny-the-elder-about-the-eruption-of-vesuvius-in-79-a-d-history-of-pompeii-en-238-s.htm

https://archive.org/details/pompeii00clar/page/18/mode/2up

https://www.britannica.com/place/Pompeii

https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/vesuvius-erupts#:~:text=At%20noon%20on%20August%2024,and%20pumice%20into%20the%20stratosphere.

https://www.cbc.ca/natureofthings/features/what-if-mount-vesuvius-erupted-today#:~:text=Today%2C%20Vesuvius%20sits%20on%20a,due%20for%20another%20cataclysmic%20blowout.

Smithsonian Magazine Article: ‘Miraculously’ Well-Preserved Ceremonial Chariot Found at Villa Outside of Pompeii

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-find-unique-ceremonial-vehicle-near-pompeii-180977117/

Photo Details: 

1. General view and Vesuvius, Pompeii, Italy. Italy Extinct City Pompeii, ca. 1890. [Between and Ca. 1900] Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/2001700924/.