The eruption of Mount Vesuvius
TIMELINE AND EYE-WITNESS ACCOUNT: Pliny the Younger
The letters of Gaius Plinius Caecilius Secundus (known as Pliny the Younger) to the historian Tacitus are the only surviving
eyewitness account of the 79 AD eruption of Mount Vesuvius. After his father’s death, Pliny was raised in the household of his
uncle, Pliny the Elder, who commanded the naval fleet at Misenum on the Bay of Naples. Pliny the Younger was 18 at the time of
the eruption. His uncle died at Stabiae after sailing to the rescue of friends. Left behind with his schoolwork, the younger Pliny
watched the horror of Vesuvius unfold, finally fleeing with his mother as the surge clouds approached Misenum. So accurate
was Pliny’s account that this type of volcanic eruption is now called ‘Plinian’, in his honour.
24 August 79 AD
8 a.m. A series of small emissions from Mount Vesuvius.
For several days past there had been earth tremors which were not particularly alarming because they are frequent in Campania;
but that night the shocks were so violent that everything felt as if were not only shaken but overturned.
- Pliny the Younger who observed the eruption from Misenum, beyond Naples
1 p.m. Vesuvius erupts suddenly and with great force. A cloud of volcanic materials soars high above the mountain, spreading
out in the shape of a flat topped pine tree. Within 30 minutes, the surging dark cloud rises some 14 km above Vesuvius. Ash
drifts over Pompeii.
… a cloud of unusual size and appearance…being like an umbrella pine, for it rose to a great height on a sort of trunk and then
split off into branches …
3 p.m. Vesuvius spews its contents higher and higher. As it rises, the volcanic material — mostly fragments of hardened lava
(lapilli) — cools and then hails down on Pompeii. Most residents flee, although some seek shelter or stay behind to guard their
property. Volcanic debris begins to clog the River Sarno and the port, making them impassable to ships. Seismic shockwaves
shake the area.
…there was a danger from falling pumice stones … as a protection against falling objects they put pillows on their heads tied
down with cloths …
We also saw the sea sucked away … so that quantities of sea creatures were left stranded on dry sand.
5 – 6 p.m. Chunks of pumice, as big as 50cm, plummet from the cloud. Streets and roads are buried deep under the
accumulated pumice, lapilli and ash, and the roofs of Pompeii buildings begin to collapse under the weight. The dense cloud now
rises about 25km above Vesuvius, obliterating the sun. Darkness, broken only by flashes of lightning, adds to the terror of fleeing
inhabitants.
25 August 79 AD
1 – 2 a.m. Scalding mudflows of volcanic debris mixed with steam spill from the volcano and down the slopes, choking the town
of Herculaneum. Ash, lapilli and pumice continue to rain down on Pompeii; the debris now rising as high as the upper storeys of
buildings. It bursts through windows, doors and roofs, trapping and suffocating those hiding within.
Soon great flames and vast fires shone from many points on Mount Vesuvius, the gleam and light made more vivid by the night
time shadows.
4 a.m. The volcanic plume above Vesuvius, now 30 km high, grows too heavy and begins to collapse. The column cascades to
earth, sending superheated ash and gases roaring in turbulent waves, called pyroclastic flows, down the volcano’s slopes. The
first flow reaches Herculaneum, killing any inhabitants who still remained.
5 a.m. Strong earthquakes continue to shake the whole area. A second, even hotter surge further buries Herculaneum. At
Pompeii, the rain of pumice eases, but darkness prevails as the massive ash cloud hides the rising sun. Some survivors try to flee
their hiding places and escape the town. But it is hard to breathe in the ash-clogged air, or to walk – or even crawl – over the
deep layer of volcanic fallout.
We were followed by a panic-stricken mob of people wanting to act on someone else’s decision.
6:30 a.m. The third pyroclastic surge, the strongest yet, reaches Pompeii from the north but is held back by the town’s wall.
6.30 – 7:30 a.m. A series of powerful surges overcome the walls and sweep over the town in massive waves of toxic gas and
burning, smothering ash. Pompeii’s remaining inhabitants are killed instantly and the city is buried. Most who die at Pompeii
perish in this phase of the eruption.
…my mother implored … me to escape … I refused to save myself without her, and grasping her hand forced her to quicken her
pace.
8 a.m. The most destructive surge hits Pompeii, preceded by a storm of fire and lightning. The town’s tallest structures are
burned, toppled and buried. The same surge reaches Stabiae and even as far as Naples.
Luckily for Pliny the Younger, the surge loses momentum before it reaches Misenum, though the town is engulfed in a dense
cloud of ash.
Volcanic activity, electrical storms and mudslides continue for several days. By the time the eruption ends, Vesuvius’s summit
has collapsed, leaving a crater 200 m lower. The entire region is annihilated — towns, vegetation, livestock, people. Only the
tops of the highest walls remain unburied to show where Pompeii stood.
Finally, the cloud lifted and vanished in a sort of smoke or fog … the sun even reappeared, but pale, as when there is an eclipse …
the landscape looked changed and covered by a thick blanket of ash, as if it had snowed.
Lessons from Pompeii
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Warning signs had been building for some time. Streams and wells had suddenly dried up, particularly those near Mt.
Vesuvius towering nearby.Some of the farmers attributed the sudden disappearance of water to the hot late-August
weather. They didn't realize that not far beneath the earth's surface the water was being vaporized by the steadily
rising heat. Out in the majestic Bay of Naples, the sea had mysteriously begun to boil in some places, the underground
heat sending streams of bubbles gurgling to the surface. Fishermen puzzled at the curious sight and murmured among
themselves.Ominously, many animals—dogs, cats, mice and rats—had begun abandoning the city of Pompeii.
Something strange was happening. The people wondered what it could mean.
After rebelling against Rome in 90 B.C., Pompeii became a colony of the growing Roman Empire and its people became
citizens. The area blossomed both as a commercial and agricultural hub and as a resort. The city boasted smooth stonepaved streets, an amphitheater large enough to seat 20,000 spectators for gladiatorial contests, two large theatres for
plays and concerts, shops of all kinds, elaborate vineyards and gardens, an enormous forum and many multi-storeyed
buildings.
Pompeii's many public fountains were fed by two large brick reservoirs, which in turn were supplied via an arched
aqueduct stretching 18 miles to a mountain lake. As was the case with many Roman cities, its citizens relaxed in several
large public baths. Quite ornate, the baths featured steamrooms and separate hot and cold pools for soaking as well as
a large pool for swimming.
Much of the city's wealth could be traced to the rich soil of the area, so fertile that three crops of grain could be grown
in a single year. Rows of vines marching across the landscape supplied the grapes for the area's noted wine production.
On the lower slopes of Vesuvius, groves of olive trees produced tons of olives for food and oil. Lush fields outside the
city supported large flocks of sheep and a thriving wool industry.
For most, life was good in Pompeii. For many, it was quite luxurious. The great Roman orator Cicero had a villa in
Pompeii; Julius Caesar's father-in-law owned one in nearby Herculaneum. Some villas were so large they took up an
entire city block. Most villas were built surrounding an open central courtyard, often highlighted by a pool and
sometimes a fountain. There wealthy Pompeians could relax on hot summer days surrounded by opulent colonnaded
gardens featuring elegant statuary and beautiful mosaic floors. Inside, many villas were equally richly decorated with
colorful frescoes depicting various aspects of daily life, history and the mythology and religious beliefs of Pompeii's
citizens. The city's wealth and favorable position drew visitors from all over the empire. Pompeii was quite
cosmopolitan, showing influences from many regions and religions. Its people could worship at its many temples
dedicated to the Roman pantheon—Jupiter, Juno, Mars, Venus, Isis, Minerva and others.
For those whose worship ran to the more mundane level, graffiti inscribed on Pompeii's walls testified that successful
gladiators were among the major celebrities of the day: "Celadus is the heartthrob of all the girls." "Severus—55
fights—has just won again." "The unbeaten Hermiscus was here." "Crescens, the net fighter, holds the hearts of all the
girls." Other graffiti urged citizens to vote for this or that candidate.
IMPORTANT: Pompeii suffered an earthquake in 62 AD, so was in the middle of rebuilding
when Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD.