Pompeii
Coordinates:40° 45' 4" N, 14° 29' 13" E
It is referenced in the following articles
Accounts of the Eruption of Vesuvius
Some points to consider are:
- 1.Literary evidence. Pliny the Younger’s description of the eruption is fundamental.
- 2.Geological evidence. Volcanologists have studied the volcanic deposits in different parts of Campania to determine the exact progression of the eruption, and the fact that different towns and areas were affected slightly differently according to their location.
- 3.Comparison to modern eruptions, such as Mount Pinatubo and Mount St Helens, where the eruptions have been recorded scientifically.
- 4.Archaeological evidence. Excavations have demonstrated the violence of the eruption and how it destroyed as well as buried Pompeii.
It is correct in thinking that volcanic eruptions have a pattern which volcanologists (and archaeologists) have studied, especially at Pompeii.
Generally, volcanic activity occurs in series of steps leading to an eruption. In the case of Pompeii at AD 79, it had been centuries since the last eruption so it is thought that the people living in the Vesuvian region (Neapolis, Herculaneum, Pompeii, Nucera, etc.) were unaware entirely of what they were living on and close to. Not only were many of the settlements of the area situated around the base of the volcano, but the inhabitants and wildlife were dependent on the fertility of the soil, which unbeknownst to them, was a direct result of previous eruptions. The area had been occupied since the Bronze Age, perhaps earlier, as we have the remains of a Bronze Age 'Pompeii'-like site (remains of which can be seen in Pompeii's Macellum, no longer in situ where they were found on the slopes of Vesuvius).
As we know, the catastrophic earthquake of AD 63 significantly affected the settlements of the region. In fact, we now know that it was a marker of a building catestrophic eruption of Vesuvius that would not occur until 16-17 years later. It's probably too simple to think of the region not being affected by smaller earthquakes and seismic activity between AD 63 to AD 79, and more likely to think that the inhabitants of the are were becoming more used to this. Many restorations to the properties of Pompeii had not been completed by the time of the eruption at AD 79 (whether damage from AD 63 or much more recent is debated, but one suspects it is a combination of damage over many years). Further, you can see today how seismic activity affects the Vesuvian region in a phenomenon known as Bradyseism.
As Pliny the Younger's description to Tacitus tells us, the eruption of Vesuvius in AD 79 took place over 2 days. Today we refer to this type of eruption as a 'Plinian eruption' because of his description of what happened.
We also understand that the eruption occured in stages, hence the differing levels and types of pumice and ash that fell around the Vesuvian region beginning with the explosion of the cone of the volcano, leading through the stages of the Umbrella Pine eruption to the collapse of the gases which caused a pyroclastic flow of ultra-hot gases, ash and pumice to race over the landscape filling every cranny and building with ash and immediately killing the remaining persons in Pompeii. When this pyroclastic flow hit the open water of the Bay of Naples it actually created steam, which super-charged the speed at which the pyroclastic flow was travelling and propelled it even greater distances (Capri, Sorrento, etc.).
A tsunami did also occur as a result of the seismic activity, but because archaeologists have had trouble locating the site of the ancient shoreline, the effects are not entirely understood as to how this impacted Pompeii at AD 79.
The Destruction Caused by Pompeii
Many factors in Pompeii’s history in ancient times through to its rediscovery and up to today are complicated. By AD 79 the city, which was very much functioning as a settlement until the time of its destruction, had undergone quite a lot of seismic activity from AD 63 onwards.
During the eruption some residents left the city, either struggling to take their belongings with them or hiding them in places as best they could. The pyroclastic flow blew the tops of buildings, lava bombs caused fires, and the ash filled every nook and cranny causing organic materials like wood to incinerate beyond reconstruction at Pompeii and carbonise at Herculaneum.
While this means that a complete 100% accurate interpretation of the city cannot be reached by interpreting what was visible at the time of excavation, we can still understand immense amounts about daily life in a Roman town.
During the eruption, objects were taken away or knocked over in the panic to escape, walls were knocked down by the force of the eruption, fabrics burned and other organic materials perished. The bodies of those trapped in the city decomposed. After the eruption, salvaging probably took place. Early excavation methods were flawed in some part and site exposure to the elements has caused serious degradation. Therefore, what does survive today varies considerably and is often disturbed
Those who fled would have taken portable valuables with them such as cash, jewellery and keys – a doctor took the tools of his trade a medicine bag (Beard M p7). There were smaller earthquakes before the large one that preceded the eruption so it is possible that many of the inhabitants fled the town earlier taking their possessions with them possibly clearing the houses of what could be moved by cart. There was looting by 17th and 18th century archaeologist’s excavating the site. There is evidence of tunnelling which was probably the result of looters or the inhabitants going back to salvage what they could of their possessions. It is not certain which of these it was who made the tunnels apart from a scrawl on one of the houses indicating that it had been looted so various types of items must have been removed from the cities but we don’t know what these were. Berry J p 30 states that there is evidence of post eruption disturbance with artifacts and building materials salvaged and extensive treasure hunting and looting – evidence of tunnels was noted in the archaeological excavations in the 18th century. Also these were poorly performed and badly recorded thereby losing valuable archaeological detail.
What remains of Pompeii is the architecture that has been preserved in the lava; the mosaics and internal decorations of the ground floors, the street plan layout and layout of villas and other structures such as the amphitheatre. There is evidence of the trades in the town such as bakers, inns, brothels etc. and also of the food eaten which can be seen in the streets with shop front s and remains of food items– historical fast food! However most organic maternal perished in the eruption or from decay afterwards (Berry J p30). There is political graffiti that can be seen on the walls is interesting. There is some rudimentary street signage for example there are a number of phalluses on the streets and even carved into one of the streets although these are now not thought to indicate the directions to brothels. Beard M p59) However the actual streets did not seem to have had names and house numbers as we understand it. The present signs are the work of the restorers as are the names of the villas (Beard M).
When did the eruption occur - August or October
On August 24, 79 Mount Vesuvius literally blew its top, spewing tons of molten ash, pumice and sulfuric gas miles into the atmosphere. A "firestorm" of poisonous vapors and molten debris engulfed the surrounding area suffocating the inhabitants of the neighboring Roman resort cities of Pompeii, Herculaneum and Stabiae. Tons of falling debris filled the streets until nothing remained to be seen of the once thriving communities. The cities remained buried and undiscovered for almost 1700 years until excavation began in 1748 [1] Or so says this website and other more reputable ones based upon Pliny's diaries of his uncles observations of the eruption. Pliny the younger himself even said he witness the destruction from afar. However, over the past few decades, archeologists are no longer taken these contemporary accounts at face value. Many have been puzzled by the evidence of post August harvested autumnal fruits found at the site. And more recently inscriptions (somewhat auspiciously found) state that eruption took place in October [2].
The idea that the eruption took place in October is not a new one. Dates have ranged from August through November but the August date is the one general accepted. The confusion could arise since Pliny's letter to Tacitus is some twenty years later and no longer exists. To add to the confusion various translations of the texts have muddied the waters given that different writers had different methods of counting days according to one method or another. So events were record in relation to other events and not at this time the AD method. It was a kind of a 15 days after the last full moon or three years before that "big fire" kind of dating method.
You can leave it to Mary Beard to languidly say so what's the big deal if its August or October? She says the debate has been going for since the 18th Century. In any case Even in the case of the new graffito, things aren’t totally straightforward. The cursive script of Pompeian graffiti is fiendishly difficult to read. (Some of the ‘best’ ones published by Della Corte in the mid twentieth century are the result of wishful reconstruction rather than anything else.) This seems to say ‘xvi k nov in[d]ulsit pro masumis esurit[ioni]’ … that is ‘on the 16 day before the kalends of November (ie 17 October) he had a big binge on food’. There may well be other readings of this, but anyway one thing is for sure: although it mentions a date, it does not mention a year. The reason this has been dated to October of 79 is that it is well preserved in charcoal, so it doesn’t seem to have been up very long Yes, some coins minted in Rome earlier in the September seemed to have made it down to Pompeii before the eruption but that just adds to the confusion not solve it. In the end the evidence of harvested fruits (albeit the detractors say unripe Pomegranates could have been picked for some industrial purpose) and clothes the inhabitants were wearing when they succumbed, point to October. But why it matters is really for the chronologists who like to get their dates in the right order but as for historical significance it adds nothing to our knowledge. [3] Case closed!
See also Pompeii - A City Frozen in Time?
| Author | Pliny + and Mary Beard + |
| Has coordinates | 40° 45' 4" N, 14° 29' 13" ELatitude: 40.751 Longitude: 14.487 + |
| Place | Roman Cities Near Pompeii + and Herculaneum + |
| Roman | Pliny the Younger +, Tacitus + and Pliny + |
