HIST 1061 Lecture 32: Pompeii AD 79
Document Summary
Mount vesuvius erupts and destroys several communities along the bay of naples the biggest port in rome. It is no longer a bay because vesuvius was a plinian eruption. A plinian eurption is the eruption of just pure stuff (pumus, ash etc. ) for over 24 hours. Eruption because pliny the younger described the eruption is recount of the events. He survived but his father pliny the elder was killed. Scientists did not believe the plinian eruption was possible until the eruption of mount st helens in 1980. Before the eruption, there were very clear signs that vesuvius was going to erupt. In fairness, acient time did not possess the scientific knowledge or technology to predict an eruption of. Furthermore, nobody even knew what a volcano was. Vesuvius was believed to be just a giant mountain before its eruption. There were massive riots after a controversial referee decision at a gladiatorial game in 59 ad.
