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Pliny the Younger is one of the most famous figures surrounding the Mt Vesuvius eruption that occurred in 79AD through his letters to the historian Tacitus describing the catastrophic event and the effect it had on people including the death of his uncle, author Pliny the Elder who was killed in the Mt Vesuvius eruption that took numerous live of residents living in the towns around Pompeii. Pliny the Younger is the only written primary source that historians and archaeologists have detailing the course of events during the eruption and the widespread damage it caused to Pompeii and Herculaneum.
'It was about an hour after midday on August 24, when my mother pointed out to him a cloud that had appeared, of a size and shape never seen before. He had been out in the sun, taken a cold bath and eaten a light meal lying on a couch, and was now studying. He called for his sandals and climbed a hill - an excellent position from which to observe the phenomenon'
In Pliny's account, he details the day of the eruption and the warning signs that's triggered many people to leave. He described that a column formed which resulted in a mushroom like cloud appearing over the town. Pliny also tells Tacitus about a tsunami that occurred the day of this eruption which was a warning sign to leave. Like Pliny the Elder, many men and women who lived in Pompeii and Herculaneum were unsure of what this strange and unusual cloud that was appearing above their city was, as they had never experienced a volcanic eruption before, and continued carrying on with their everyday lives before the eruption got worse killing thousands of residents and burying the towns of Pompeii and Herculaneum and preserving these paintings, artefacts and bodies of thousands of people killed, including Pliny the Youngers uncle, Pliny the Elder. Men and women living in these towns would have had no knowledge of the effects this volcano could have on these towns and believed the strange occurrences would stop. Years prior to this eruption a major earthquake struck the town and much of the town was reconstructed. The men and women of Pompeii and Herculaneum believed these strange tremors would be another earthquake and felt that they would pass, until it was too late and the extremely hot gas rolled over the city, suffocating the majority of people who had not escaped who had no chance of survival after this critical event during the major eruption of Mt Vesuvius.
Although Pliny the Younger is the only written primary source of the Mt Vesuvius eruption, many of his warning signs have been scientifically to be untrue, he could still have some faults with his writings to Tacitus. Pliny wrote the letter 25 years after the eruption and could have forgotten many numerous important points such as the time of day or the warning signs, such as the earthquake, which could be vital for scientists exploring Pompeii and Herculaneum today.
'It was about an hour after midday on August 24, when my mother pointed out to him a cloud that had appeared, of a size and shape never seen before. He had been out in the sun, taken a cold bath and eaten a light meal lying on a couch, and was now studying. He called for his sandals and climbed a hill - an excellent position from which to observe the phenomenon'
In Pliny's account, he details the day of the eruption and the warning signs that's triggered many people to leave. He described that a column formed which resulted in a mushroom like cloud appearing over the town. Pliny also tells Tacitus about a tsunami that occurred the day of this eruption which was a warning sign to leave. Like Pliny the Elder, many men and women who lived in Pompeii and Herculaneum were unsure of what this strange and unusual cloud that was appearing above their city was, as they had never experienced a volcanic eruption before, and continued carrying on with their everyday lives before the eruption got worse killing thousands of residents and burying the towns of Pompeii and Herculaneum and preserving these paintings, artefacts and bodies of thousands of people killed, including Pliny the Youngers uncle, Pliny the Elder. Men and women living in these towns would have had no knowledge of the effects this volcano could have on these towns and believed the strange occurrences would stop. Years prior to this eruption a major earthquake struck the town and much of the town was reconstructed. The men and women of Pompeii and Herculaneum believed these strange tremors would be another earthquake and felt that they would pass, until it was too late and the extremely hot gas rolled over the city, suffocating the majority of people who had not escaped who had no chance of survival after this critical event during the major eruption of Mt Vesuvius.
Although Pliny the Younger is the only written primary source of the Mt Vesuvius eruption, many of his warning signs have been scientifically to be untrue, he could still have some faults with his writings to Tacitus. Pliny wrote the letter 25 years after the eruption and could have forgotten many numerous important points such as the time of day or the warning signs, such as the earthquake, which could be vital for scientists exploring Pompeii and Herculaneum today.