THE ERUPTION
DEATH OF POMPEII AND HERCULANEUM
PHLEGRAEAN FIELDS ( BRADYSEISM)
STRABO GEOGRAPHY V.4.8
( VITRUVIUS AND DIODORUS SICULUS)
 Mount Vesuvius is situated above these places and
people live all around on very beautiful farms, except at
the summit. This is flat for the main part, but
completely unfruitful, like ashes to look at, and it
displays porous hollows of rocks blackened on the
surface, as if devoured by fire. As a result, one would
deduce that this area was previously on fire and held
craters of fire, and that it was extinguished when the fuel
failed. Perhaps this is also the reason for the
fruitfulness of the surrounding area, just as at Catana
they say that the part covered by ash carried up by the
fire of Etna made the country suited to vine -growing.
4,00 FT. HIGH
MONTE SOMMA/MONTE VESUVIO
TRADITIONAL DATE
19– 23 August --- earth tremors
and other signs
Morning 24 Aug. –explosion with
ash
But- more than 12 dates given
in manuscripts of Pliny’s Letters
AUGUST
 Deciduous trees sill have leaves at Herculaneum
 Villa A at Oplontis-herbs that would have finished flowering by
autumn
 Broad beans ( don’t stay fresh long after picking)
ATUMN?
 Heavy clothing on victims
 Autumn fruits ( pomegranates)
 BUT
Maybe clothing for protection from ash
Fruits picked earlier but saved.
NEW EVIDENCE ( HOUSE OF THE GOLDEN
BRACELET COIN HOARD)
 Silver denarius of Titus
TRP VIIII IMPXV COS VII PP
 Imperator Titus Caesar Vespasian Augustus Pontifex Maximus
 With tribunician power for the 9 th time 9
 Acclaimed Imperator for the 15 th time, consul for the 7 th
time, father of the country.
 Consul= 79 CE/Tribune= July/Imperator= not before Sept.
PLINY THE YOUNGER -EYEWITNESS
 Letters -- Pliny the Younger to Tacitus
 Raised by his uncle Pliny the Elder
.
Pliny the Elder– ( The Natural Histor y– 37 Books ). Commander
of Roman fleet at Misenum
MISENUM
PLINIAN PHASE ( 10-20 MILES HIGH)
PLINIAN PHASE ( UMBRELLA PINE)
PLEA FROM RECTINA
“FORTUNE FAVORS THE BRAVE-HEAD FOR
POMPONIANUS” (STABIAE)
DEATH OF PLINY THE ELDER
“STUDYING LIVY”
TIMELINE (2-- DAYS FROM 11:00 AM TO
8:00 AM )
 Day 1-steam, Plinian
Phase
Day 2- pumice (lapilli) and rock
6 inches per hour
DAY 2 --PELEAN PHASE-SURGES 1AND 2
(NUEES ARDENTES) HERCULANEUM
 Hot ash and gas ( 212- 750degrees F.) 100+miles per hour
FINAL SURGE SWEPT ACROSS BAY TO
MISENUM ( 18 MILES)
 Herculaneum
ft.
 Pompeii
6 surges ( 75 feet),extended coastline by 1300
= last 3/6 surges (2-6 ft.)
POMPEII OVERBURDEN
100,000 TIMES A- BOMB
2000 VICTIMS FOUND
MOOSE
HERCULANEUM
AUG. 25
HERCULANEUM BATH
1982
300 + VICTIMS
13 MARCH 1944
PRESERVATION OF
POMPEII/HERCULANEUM
HOUSE OF THE MOSAIC ATRIUM
HERCULANEUM
HOUSE OF THE WOODEN PARTITION
 Stabiae
VILLA A OPLONTIS
 Poppaea?
MARTIAL, EPIGRAMS
 Behold Vesuvius, that was until lately covered with the green
shade of vines, whose famous juice filled vats to overflowing.
Bacchus cared more for these slopes than the hills of his own
Nysa..This was Venus’ dwelling… and the place where Hercules
left his name. All was destroyed by flame and buried in ash.
SURVIVORS?
 Numerius Popidius Celsinus son of Numerius paid for the
temple of Isis to be rebuilt…..To repay his generosity the town
council accepted him into their order free of charge, although
he was only six years old.
CIL, 10 846
 To the shades of Numerius Popidius Celsinus, decurion, well deserving. Quintus Cecilius his son set this up.
 Tomb of an army veteran who died and was buried in Spain.