How Badly Pompeii was Affected by the Eruption of Mount Vesuvius

By the first century, Pompeii had many little cities and towns located near the base of Mount Vesuvius. This is where a substantial population grew, and had an affluent agricultural richness. However, it was on August 24, 79 that disaster struck. Mount Vesuvius literally blew its top, for the first time in 700 years, causing masses of molten ash, along with pumice and sulfur gas, suffocating both the inhabitants of Pompeii, along with people in adjacent cities. It also produced leaping flames coming off of several different points, whose bright glare was emphasized by the darkness of night. It was at this point that men, women, and children alike started to flee the city. "You could hear the shrieks of women, the wailing of infants, and the shouting of men; some were calling their parents, others their children or their wives, trying to recognize them by their voices."(Berry, 22) Many knew that a gruesome fate that was ahead for their relatives, which was death. Many prayed for the aid of the gods, however many thought they no longer existed.

Vesuvius had entered a history of volcanology with an eruption in 79AD.This explosion of the famous volcano had destroyed Herculaneum, Oplonti, along with the major city of Pompeii. Before its major eruptions, several earthquakes occurred, but were disregarded by the local community as just another phenomenon. "Wells dried up and springs stopped flowing. Dogs howled and birds were strangely silent. But Pompeiians went about their daily business, oblivious to the rumblings under their feet or the strange behavior of their pets."(Roberts, 16) However, Vesuvius’ major destroying eruption would not go unnoticed.

Residents quickly gathered as many personal belongings as possible out of their homes, and evacuated quickly to escape the choking ash. Much of the residue from the hurling debris gathered on rooftops, causing them to collapse. Slaves guided their masters through the streets on chairs, while livestock and carts were crowded all along the walkways. By dusk, ninety percent of the population had reached safety, and more would have most likely been out of harm if they were aware of what the mountain had in store. Instead they chose to ignore all of the warning signs including many earthquakes that shook the land beforehand.

The city was left in a state of devastation. An estimated 20,000 people died within the six surges of the eruption. The inhabitants who did not flee or die during the eruptions, were the first to be turned to an alternate technique of climbing trees in desperation in order to escape the dense pumice and debris that crowded the streets. However, many still died; the two primary causes being suffocation from the fumes, and broken bodies from the force of the eruption. Although most people were able to escape from the town, many still perished within the city of Pompeii and the nearby countrysides. It would not be until many years later through different avenues of excavation and rebuilding would frightening signs of death be present, such as extremely precise figures and outlines of the destined Pompeianites who were unsuccessful in their attempt to escape. Reisn and plaster would be used to capture the victims in their last seconds of life with supernatural expressions on their faces with detailed, disinct life like characteristics.

The city of Pompeii had not only endured severe damages to the land itself, but also the population. About 1,150 bodies were found through a recovering process within the ash deposits. The city of Pompeii was not rebuilt at that time, as the townspeople did not want to undertake the very extensive work that would need to take place in order to revitalize it. Much of the village and towns have been forgotten, as they are buried under several feet of ash due to the lava flow. Additionally, weathering erosion, and light exposure have all damaged the city over the years. The lack of air and moisture have allowed for the objects to remain underground, which makes the site good for analysis to understand more of this disaster. This remarkable tragedy, though terrible, has been in a state of conservation, providing its legacy to live on.

Even though the city of Pompeii was completely buried, it was revived to a degree again beginning in 1748 after more than 1600 years since its destruction at the hands of volcanic activity. Although many of the people were found buried under twelve layer of soil, astonishingly enough, many of the buildings were well preserved as well as the bodies which were frozen in time often dipicted in those just going about their daily routine of life that fateful day the volcano erupted. The ruins at Pompeii have imparted archaeologists much indispensible information with regards to how the people in the Roman Empire lived. The city of Pompeii is a fashionable travel destination today and one of the most visited cities with a prosperous income produced from curious travelers eager to get a glimpse of pop culture and history.

Berry, Joanne. The Complete Pompeii. London: Thames and Hudson Publishers, 2007.

Roberts, Russell. Mt. Vesuvius and the Destruction of Pompei, AD 79. United States: Mitchell Lane Publishers, 2005.