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KF5JRV > TODAY 24.08.26 10:09z 77 Lines 6095 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
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Subj: Today in History - Aug 24
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Sent: 260824/1003Z 30295@KF5JRV.#NWAR.AR.USA.NA BPQ6.0.24
After centuries of dormancy, Mount Vesuvius erupts in southern Italy, devastating the prosperous Roman cities of Pompeii and He
rculaneum and killing thousands. The cities, buried under a thick layer of volcanic material and mud, were never rebuilt and la
rgely forgotten in the course of history. In the 18th century, Pompeii and Herculaneum were rediscovered and excavated, providi
ng an unprecedented archaeological record of the everyday life of an ancient civilization, startlingly preserved in sudden deat
h.
The eruption is traditionally dated to A.D. August 24, 79, but archaeological discoveries have led some researchers to argue th
e disaster might have occurred in the autumn, possibly in October 79.
The ancient cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum thrived near the base of Mount Vesuvius at the Bay of Naples. In the time of the
early Roman Empire, 20,000 people lived in Pompeii, including merchants, manufacturers and farmers who exploited the rich soil
of the region with numerous vineyards and orchards. None suspected that the black fertile earth was the legacy of earlier erupt
ions of Mount Vesuvius. Herculaneum was a city of 5,000 and a favorite summer destination for rich Romans. Named for the mythic
hero Hercules, Herculaneum housed opulent villas and grand Roman baths. Gambling artifacts found in Herculaneum and a brothel
unearthed in Pompeii attest to the decadent nature of the cities. There were smaller resort communities in the area as well, su
ch as the quiet little town of Stabiae.
This pleasure and prosperity came to an end when, at noon on eruption day, the peak of Mount Vesuvius exploded, propelling a 10
-mile mushroom cloud of ash and pumice into the stratosphere. For the next 12 hours, volcanic ash and a hail of pumice stones u
p to 3 inches in diameter showered Pompeii, forcing the cityâ€Ös occupants to flee in terror. Some 2,000 people stayed in Pompe
ii, holed up in cellars or stone structures, hoping to wait out the eruption.
A westerly wind protected Herculaneum from the initial stage of the eruption, but then a giant cloud of hot ash and gas surged
down the western flank of Vesuvius, engulfing the city and burning or asphyxiating all who remained. This lethal cloud was foll
owed by a flood of volcanic mud and rock, burying the city.
The people who stayed in Pompeii were killed the following morning when a cloud of toxic gas poured into the city, suffocating
all who remained. A flow of rock and ash followed, collapsing roofs and walls and burying the dead.
Much of what we know about the eruption comes from an account by Pliny the Younger, who was staying west along the Bay of Naple
s when Vesuvius exploded. In two letters to the historian Tacitus, he told of how “people covered their heads with pillows, t
he only defense against a shower of stones,” and of how “a dark and horrible cloud charged with combustible matter suddenly
broke and set forth. Some bewailed their own fate. Others prayed to die.” Pliny, only 17 at the time, escaped the catastroph
e and later became a noted Roman writer and administrator.
His uncle, Pliny the Elder, was less lucky. At the time of the eruption, the celebrated naturalist was the commander of the Rom
an fleet in the Bay of Naples. After Vesuvius exploded, Pliny the Elder took his boats across the bay to Stabiae to investigate
the eruption and reassure terrified citizens. After going ashore, he was overcome by toxic gas and died.
According to Pliny the Youngerâ€Ös account, the eruption lasted 18 hours. Pompeii was buried under 14 to 17 feet of ash and pum
ice, and the nearby seacoast was drastically changed. Herculaneum was buried under more than 60 feet of mud and volcanic materi
al. Some residents of Pompeii later returned to dig out their destroyed homes and salvage their valuables, but many treasures w
ere left then forgotten.
The long-standing debate over when exactly Mount Vesuvius erupted stems, in part, from Pliny the Youngerâ€Ös account. The origi
nal manuscript has been lost, and scholars debate variations found in later copies. Archaeological evidence has added to the un
certainty. Excavations have uncovered autumn produce, braziers and other clues suggesting the disaster might have occurred late
r in the year. In 2018, archaeologists announced the discovery of a charcoal inscription apparently dated October 17, 79. The t
iming remains unsettled.
In the 18th century, a well digger unearthed a marble statue on the site of Herculaneum. The local government excavated some ot
her valuable art objects, but the project was abandoned. In 1748, a farmer found traces of Pompeii beneath his vineyard. Since
then, excavations have gone on nearly without interruption until the present. In 1927, the Italian government resumed the excav
ation of Herculaneum, retrieving numerous art treasures, including bronze and marble statues and paintings.
The remains of 2,000 men, women and children were found at Pompeii. After perishing from asphyxiation, their bodies were covere
d with ash that hardened and preserved the outline of their bodies. Later, their bodies decomposed to skeletal remains, leaving
a kind of plaster mold behind. Archaeologists who found these molds filled the hollows with plaster, revealing in grim detail
the death pose of the victims of Vesuvius. The rest of the city is likewise frozen in time, and ordinary objects that tell the
story of everyday life in Pompeii are as valuable to archaeologists as the great unearthed statues and frescoes. It was not unt
il 1982 that the first human remains were found at Herculaneum, and these hundreds of skeletons bear ghastly burn marks that te
stifies to horrifying deaths.
Today, Mount Vesuvius is the only active volcano on the European mainland. Its last eruption was in 1944, and its last major er
uption was in 1631. Another eruption is expected in the near future, which could be devastating for the 700,000 people who live
in the “death zones” around Vesuvius.
73 de Scott KF5JRV
Pmail: KF5JRV@KF5JRV.#NWAR.AR.USA.NA
Email KF5JRV@gmail.com
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