Mount Vesuvius: 79 AD Eruption

by Jeremy Yip in History, June 18, 2009

On 62 AD, there was an earthquake, and 17 years later there is another disaster. Yesterday, a shock eruption occurred from the active volcano of Mount Vesuvius. The volcano took its toll of approximately 25,000 people around Pompeii and other surrounding cities. What was a beautiful city with fertile land is now no more.

The earthquake 17 years ago was a shock disaster, causing widespread destruction over Pompeii, Naples and other nearby cities and towns. After another small jolt 2 years later, the citizens of Pompeii thought that nothing worse could go on after this tragedy. Even though there were small tremors, the Romans lived happily until today.

The big eruption occurred in two deadly phases – the first was an extremely long Plinian eruption which lasted 18 hours. Pumice flew everywhere, and at one area built a 2.8 metre tall cone. Straight after that, the second phase followed – pyroclastic flows from Mount Vesuvius, which spread everywhere. Two flushed the happy city of Pompeii, leaving nothing but burnt people who had managed to survive the rain of volcanic rock.

There was only one reliable eyewitness of the devastating occasion – Gaius Plinius Caecilius Secundus (also known as Pliny the Younger). He said: ”I cannot give you a more exact description of its appearance than by comparing to a pine tree; for it shot up to a great height, occasionally darker and spotted, as it was either more or less filled with earth and cinders.”

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Gaius’ uncle, known as Pliny the Elder, was in command of a Roman fleet and decided to investigate the phenomenon with some companions. Pliny the Elder When they were about to leave the area, a messenger from a friend of Pliny the Elder’s told him his friend was living near the volcano. When he went there a rain of cinders and rock blocked his path. He went the other way to a city named Stabiae, and sheltered there with his other friend.

Pliny and his friend saw flames coming from several parts of the volcano, which today have destroyed and buried Pompeii and a nearby city, Herculaneum. After staying overnight, they decided to evacuate in spite of the rain of tephra (type of rock). They wore pillows on their head to shield from rock fall. By this time, there was so much ash in the air that they could barely see and needed lanterns. They made it to the beach eventually but the water was too violently disturbed by the earthquake and unfortunately, Pliny the Elder died.

Please take time to browse my other articles:
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