"A few years after the event, Pliny wrote a friend, Cornelius Tacitus, describing the happenings of late August 79 AD when the eruption of Vesuvius obliterated Pompeii, killed his Uncle and almost destroyed his family. At the time, Pliney was eighteen and living at his Uncle's villa in the town of Misenum. We pick up his story as he describes the warning raised by his mother.
Great find, lady red! I'd never read Pliny the Younger's description. It's hard to wrap your brain around that kind of destruction in such a short period of time. Even after going to the Mt. St. Helen's visitor center, the pure power and destructive force of a volcano is just unfathomable. When that Yellowstone Caldera blows, or our friend to the south, Mt. Baker, wakes up... yikes!
I thought that it struck much more sudden than that and caught people by surprise, although I must admit I have not read anything about it since the original newspaper reports right after it happened.
I thought so too Matt. All this time I was under the impression that the ash from the eruption descended upon the population with little warning and suffocated everyone, but in reality the heat from the pyroclastic flows toasted everyone from a long distance. It must have been horrific.
Here is a historical account by Pliney.
ReplyDelete"A few years after the event, Pliny wrote a friend, Cornelius Tacitus, describing the happenings of late August 79 AD when the eruption of Vesuvius obliterated Pompeii, killed his Uncle and almost destroyed his family. At the time, Pliney was eighteen and living at his Uncle's villa in the town of Misenum. We pick up his story as he describes the warning raised by his mother.
FFS: I meant "Pliny".
DeleteGreat find, lady red! I'd never read Pliny the Younger's description. It's hard to wrap your brain around that kind of destruction in such a short period of time. Even after going to the Mt. St. Helen's visitor center, the pure power and destructive force of a volcano is just unfathomable. When that Yellowstone Caldera blows, or our friend to the south, Mt. Baker, wakes up... yikes!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad they didn't include people in the video. Just hearing the dogs braying was eerie enough for me!
DeleteThat is some video.
ReplyDeleteI thought that it struck much more sudden than that and caught people by surprise, although I must admit I have not read anything about it since the original newspaper reports right after it happened.
I thought so too Matt. All this time I was under the impression that the ash from the eruption descended upon the population with little warning and suffocated everyone, but in reality the heat from the pyroclastic flows toasted everyone from a long distance. It must have been horrific.
DeleteI had the same idea as you did, but your explanation makes sense.
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