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| Mt. Vesuvius has an altitude of 1281 meters
and covers an area of about 480 sq. km. On 24 August, 79 AD, Vesuvius exploded and buried
the towns of Stabiae and Herculaneum. The
town of Pompeii was covered in a 30 foot layer of volcanic ash preserving the town and its
inhabitants, killing the 2 000 people left behind. Another 20 000 escaped by boat.
The Roman historian
Pliny described the eruption:
"a black and dreadful cloud now and again yawned open to reveal long fantastic
flames".
Pompeii was wonderfully preserved by the ash, historians
were able to get an insight into the Pompeii way of life in the time of the Romans.
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 When it was destroyed, Pompeii was still being rebuilt from an
earthquake
that struck the town in AD 63. It was a thriving town laid out in a standard grid pattern
with two theatres, luxurious baths, and a large forum surrounded by temples and municipal
buildings. The development of Mt. Vesuvius
has been studied since Roman times. The magma chamber of Vesuvius lies at a depth of 5-6
km, according to current estimates.
The volcanic activity started about 10,000 years ago.
Periods of frequent eruption alternated with periods of absolute tranquillity that
sometimes lasted more than 2000 years.
Before the disastrous eruption of 79 AD Vesuvius had been
quiet for 1200 years; only a few scientists knew that it was a volcano.
The history of this, the most famous eruption in Europe,
is known through a detailed description by Pliny the Younger in two letters to Tacitus.
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| Since 79 AD Vesuvius has been active at
irregular intervals, but has seldom remained quiet very long. The last major eruption
occurred in 1944, but activity may start up at any moment. Settlers came to Pompeii as
early as 9th Century BC and its influences were
Greek, Etruscan, Saminite and Roman. The Roman influence can be seen in the artwork and
architecture. During the 4th BC Pompeii began to grow.
The city of Pompeii itself was not of major importance in Roman times but the location
was important - an ideal port town - stretching to the sea. The volcanic soil proved very
fertile enabling grapes and olives to grow in abundance.
The treasures of Pompeii are now at risk from pollution and hard living of the
modern world. |
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