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| The End of Pompeii |
| On August 24, 79 AD... |
...On May 18, 1980 AD |
| A Volcano Erupted |
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Let us begin our journey to Pompeii using pictures from a similar tragedy
that occurred in our own home. |
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| Mount St. Helen |
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| showed her fury |
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| just as Vesuvius showed his. |
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| An eyewitness describes his experiences during the eruption of Vesuvius |
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The cloud was like “an umbrella pine, because it rose to a great height on a sort of trunk and then split off into branches..” |
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| “Ashes were already falling, hotter and thicker as the ships drew near, followed by bits of pumice and blackened stones, charred and cracked by the flames” |
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“By this time [his doorway] was full of ashes mixed with pumice-stones, so that its level had risen, and if he had stayed in the room any longer he would never had got out” |
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| “then [he] suddenly collapsed, I imagine because the dense fumes choked his breathing by blocking his windpipe” |
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“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.” |
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| Reflection Journal Entry #1 Mount St. Helen took 57 lives.
Vesuvius took at least 500. Think of a similar loss that has occurred recently, explain how it is similar, and how it affected your life. Consider then how the loss of Pompeii must have affected the Romans. |
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| The simple facts of Pompeii's destruction: |
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| Mt. Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD, pouring massive amounts of ash and debris onto Pompeii, destroying and preserving the city for future generations. |
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Additional Resources:
More Information on Pompeii's Destruction
More Information on the Debate about Pompeii's Dead
More of Pliny the Younger's Letters about Vesuvius
More Information on Mount St. Helens
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