Our idea of the death of Pompeii is largely shaped by the famous painting of the famous Russian artist Karl Bryullov "The Last Day of Pompeii". Strictly speaking, the city was destroyed in two days of August for a few hours. Below, we will try to restore the chronology of events from an archaeological site and from the words of an eyewitness, Pliny the Younger, a Roman historian.
24 August (possibly 24 October) | ||
Geological chronology |
Chronology of Pliny the Younger |
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Morning - 1pm | The first tremors began early in the morning on August 24. Earthquakes are quite frequent in this region and for the majority of the inhabitants of Pompeii did not cause any particular concern. About 12 o'clock in the afternoon the volcano itself woke up. A small trickle of thought appeared over the mountain. The first pieces of pumice in the size of 2-6 cm began to fall in the east of Mount Vesuvius around 12:30. Most people looked at the colorful spectacle with delight and fear, but only a few decided to leave the city limits. |
n the ninth day before the calends of September (August 24), at the beginning of the day, my mother drew my uncle's attention to a cloud of unusual size and appearance. Its general form can best be described as a pine umbrella, for it has risen to a great height as a kind of tree trunk, and then branches have separated from it. I imagine that this was because it was thrust up by the initial blast until its power weakened and it was left unsupported and spread out sideways under its own weight. Sometimes it looked light coloured, sometimes it looked mottled and dirty with the earth and ash it had carried up. Like a true scholar, my uncle saw at once that it deserved closer study and ordered a boat to be prepared. He said that I could go with him, but I chose to continue my studies. |
1-5pm | The first pieces of pumice began to fall on the city of Pompeii around 1:30 pm Pumice is a light material and did not cause any special harm. This volcanic rock can even float on the water, and the temperature of the rock is not hot at all. By the way, the lightness of pumice was fatal for many Pompeii residents. The navy of the Roman Empire tried to cross the Gulf of Naples from its bases, but it was pumice stone that proved to be a barrier to warships. They could not quickly and in time to undertake the evacuation of the citizens of Pompeii. Many residents began to seek shelter in homes. Mount Vesuvius awoke, and a column of smoke rose to a height of 15 km above the ground. Light pumice rain falls on the city. The city begins to be covered with a layer of white rock at a speed of 15 cm per hour. By this time, Pompeii are in the twilight of the oncoming clouds from the volcano. Almost like the classic "Darkness that came from the Mediterranean, covered the city hated by the procurator." |
Just as he was leaving the house, he
was handed a message from Rectina, the wife of Tascus, whose
home was at the foot of the mountain, and had no way of
escape except by boat. She was terrified by the threatening
danger and begged him to rescue her. He changed the plan at
once and what he had started in a spirit of scientific
curiosity he ended as a hero. He ordered the large galleys
to be launched and set sail. He steered bravely straight for
the danger zone that everyone else was leaving in fear and
haste but still kept on noting his observations. |
5 pm | At 5:30pm, the first collapses in Pompeii begin. The pumice layer reaches the maximum weight and the roofs begin to collapse, burying people searching for salvation in vain under their family vaults. These are the first victims of the eruption, but not the last. The bodies found in the lower layers of pumice in almost all cases were located in houses buried under the arches of the houses. On the streets of the body in this layer were almost not found being on the street was safer for people than inside the houses. |
After his (uncle's) bath, he laid
down and dined; he was quite cheerful, in any case, he
pretended that he was such, which made him no less
courageous. At the same time, broad leaves of fire appeared
on Mount Vesuvius and the flames leaped and flared in
several places, their bright light was emphasized by the
dark night. My uncle tried to dispel the fears of his
companions, repeatedly claiming that it was just the fires
left by the peasants at the time of their horror, or fires
in empty houses in the areas where they were. |
25 August (possibly 25 October) | ||
12am | The column of Vesuvius collapses in the form of a choke gas, and then pyroclastic flows. Moving at a speed of up to 400 km / h, a hot wave of volcanic rocks and gas covers Pompeii’s neighbors in the town of Herculaneum. All who were still alive instantly die. |
By this time, the courtyard to his
room was full of ash mixed with pumice, so that its level
rose, and if he had stayed longer he could never get out. |
2 am | The second wave of pyroclastic flows. |
Meanwhile, tall broad flames blazed
from several places on Vesuvius and glared out through the
darkness of the night. My uncle soothed the fears of his
companions by saying that they were nothing more than fires
left by the terrified peasants, or empty abandoned houses
that were blazing. he went to bed and apparently fell
asleep, for his loud, heavy breathing was heard by those
passing his door. But, eventually, the courtyard outside
began to fill with so much ash and pumice that, if he had
stayed in his room, he would never have been able to get
out. He was awakened and joined Pomponianus and his servants
who had sat up all night. They wondered whether to stay
indoors or go out into the open, because the buildings were
now swaying back and forth and shaking with more violent
tremors. Outside, there was the danger from the falling
pumice, although it was only light and porous. After
weighing up the risks, they chose the open country and tied
pillows over their heads with cloths for protection. |
6:30 am | The third wave of pyroclastic flows reaches the northern walls of Pompeii. |
Then the flame and the smell of sulfur, which marked the approach of fire, caused others to flee. Excited, my uncle struggled to his feet, leaning on two slaves, but he immediately collapsed. I believe that his breathing was hampered by the thick smoke that blocked his trachea - for it was constitutionally weak and narrow and often inflamed. |
7 am | The fourth wave kills most of the survivors. The victims were found at a height of 2-3 meters above the ground. A pumice blanket covered the city and many of its inhabitants died sitting on the roofs of their houses. | |
7:30- 8 am | The fifth and sixth waves completely cover the whole city. The Gulf of Naples is covered with pumice, ash and dust. |
And now the ash fell, but at first rarely. Behind us (Pliny the Younger and his mother) is an ominous thick smoke spreading over the earth like a flood, following us. As soon as we agreed what to do, we were shrouded in the night. Only shrill cries of women, crying of children, cries of people were heard. But the darkness brightened, and then, a cloud of smoke dissolved away. It seemed that everything had changed - covered with a thick layer of ash, like after a heavy snowfall. |