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

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)

AUGUST

Heavy clothing on victims

Autumn fruits ( pomegranates)

BUT Maybe clothing for protection from ash Fruits picked earlier but saved.

ATUMN?

NEW EVIDENCE ( HOUSE OF THE GOLDEN BRACELET COIN HOARD)

Silver denarius of Titus

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.

TRP VIIII IMPXV COS VII PP

PLINY THE YOUNGER -EYEWITNESS

Letters -- Pliny the Younger to Tacitus Raised by his uncle Pliny the Elder.Pliny the Elder– ( The Natural History– 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, PlinianPhase

Day 2- pumice (lapilli) and rock6 inches per hour

DAY 2 --PELEAN PHASE-SURGES 1AND 2 (NUEES ARDENTES)

HERCULANEUMHot ash and gas ( 212- 750degrees F.) 100+miles per

hour

FINAL SURGE SWEPT ACROSS BAY TO MISENUM ( 18 MILES)

Herculaneum 6 surges ( 75 feet),extended coastline by 1300 ft.

Pompeii = 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.