Vesuvius
Vesuvius is a volcano on the Bay of Naples in Campania. In ancient history it is above all connected with the disaster of AD 79, when Pompeii and Herculaneum were destroyed.
The eruption of Vesuvius in AD 79. Event reconstruction.
Geography
Vesuvius lies in fertile Campania, close to the coast and to important urban centres of the Roman world. The region was connected with Rome, the provinces of the Roman Empire and Mediterranean routes, including the route toward Egypt.
The eruption of AD 79
The eruption began with a powerful column of ash and pumice. In the next phase pyroclastic surges and hot clouds reached settlements at the foot of the volcano, burying streets, houses and inhabitants.
The testimony of Pliny the Younger
The main written source for the disaster is the letters of Pliny the Younger to Tacitus. He described the unusual shape of the cloud, ash fall, darkness and the death of Pliny the Elder, who tried to approach the disaster zone.
Consequences for Pompeii and Herculaneum
Pompeii was buried under ash and pumice, while Herculaneum was covered by denser volcanic flows. These different conditions explain the differences in the preservation of buildings, organic material and urban quarters.
Related topics
Pompeii, Herculaneum, Egypt, Rome, Roman Empire
Literature
- Pliny the Younger. Epistulae VI.16, VI.20.
- Sigurdsson H. et al. The Eruption of Vesuvius in A.D. 79. National Geographic Research, 1985.
- Cooley A. E., Cooley M. G. L. Pompeii and Herculaneum: A Sourcebook. Routledge, 2014.
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