The Secrets of Vesuvius :: Historical Background

The historical background to
The Secrets of Vesuvius

Vesuvius is one of the most famous volcanoes in the world. But until it erupted on the 24th of August AD 79, no one even suspected it was a volcano. We know about this devastating eruption from two main sources.

First, we have archaeological evidence: the famous 'buried cities' at the foot of the volcano. Their remains give us a glimpse of a single day in the Roman empire.

Second, we have written evidence: two letters by admiral Pliny's nephew. He was seventeen years old and staying with his uncle at Misenum when the volcano erupted.

Theories about the timing of the volcano are constantly being revised, but recent studies indicate that most people survived the first twelve hours of the eruption. It was only after midnight that a series of pyroclastic flows killed those closest to the volcano.

Admiral Pliny was a real person, as were Tascius and Rectina. Vulcan, Clio, and Phrixus were not real people. But they could have been.

Vulcan's riddle is also real. No one knows exactly what it means.

Secrets of Vesuvius Pliny's Account Vulcan Vase General Links

below: Caroline and Richard in the amphitheatre of Pompeii