The Roman city of Pompeii, located at the foot of the volcano, Mt. Vesuvius, near the coast of the Bay of Naples, was destroyed, along with the cities of Herculaneum and Stabiae, by an unexpected, violent eruption of the volcano in the year 79 AD. The cities were buried by ashes and pumice stone caused by the eruption and then covered by layer upon layer of soil until they were was rediscovered in 1748 during excavations that have continued until the present day. The excavations present reliable insight into the daily life of Pompeii and Rome in 79 AD.
Pompeii in Its Heyday
Pompeii was founded during the 7th century BC by a central Italian people, the Oscans, but became a Roman colony in 80 BC when it was overcome by Sulla’s army. Because of its location, the city held an important position in the Roman Empire, both as a port city as well as a resort town. The prosperity of the city was also due to the high fertility of the soil, which made it ideal for agricultural pursuits.
Excavations have unearthed a trading company, jars full of wine, “Laundromats”, and many other professional buildings. Graffiti provides us with street dialects based on Latin. Pompeii had undergone extensive restructuring after being annexed to Rome, including the addition of a gymnasium, complete with centralized swimming pool; an amphitheatre and an aqueduct that provided water for 25 street fountains, at least four public baths and a number of private homes.
It is presumed that there were approximately 20,000 citizens at the time of the eruption. A gymnasium and amphitheater were discovered, along with two theaters, a large food market, a mill, a Thermopolium, and a number of small restaurants. A rather large hotel (1,000 sq. meters) was found on the outskirts of the city.
It appears from artifacts found during the excavations that on the day of August 24, 79 AD the people of Pompeii were going about their daily business much the same as usual. Half-eaten meals have been found in the homes, the local bakery had 81 loaves of bread still in the oven, recipe books were found open in kitchens and restaurants, people were found in bedrooms …. Political graffiti found on walls show that the people were interested in local politics; local gossip was also to be found scribbled on the city walls and even in bathrooms, much like today.
Pliny the Younger, an eye-witness to the destruction of Pompeii, wrote a series of letters after the incident, indicating that the inhabitants of Pompeii knew that something was wrong, although at the time most had no idea of how dangerous the situation was. Pliny’s mother had seen a giant mushroom-shaped cloud over the mountain and had said that she was very worried about eruption.
What We Can Learn from Pompeii’s Experience
Although the inhabitants of Pompeii had had plenty of forewarning, what they didn’t have was experience. No one actually knew that Vesuvius was an active volcano, because there had been no action for several centuries. The tremors might have given some indication, but the area was prone to earthquakes, so very little interest was displayed in that direction.
Had the Pompeians heeded the warning signs early enough, and followed a few simple rules, they might have escaped in time. There are a number of things that people living in or visiting a volcanic area can do to prepare in advance to avoid an extremely dangerous situation.
First, you should have a basic emergency kit ready. Be sure to include preparations also for your pets; two of the most tragic relics from Pompeii are the body cast of a pet dog that had been chained in the yard and was unable to flee and a pig that had been overcome by the ashes.
Two more important items to include in your kit are a dust mask and goggles. Keep in mind that the demise of most of the inhabitants of Pompeii was smothering caused by the ashes. To give a general picture, several years ago Mt. Etna hiccoughed and the entire Sicilian Island was covered in ashes for over two weeks; we couldn’t breathe without sneezing or coughing. Don’t worry about appearances — everyone else will look just like you.
Make plans for evacuation. It is NOT a good idea to stay in the zone, for any reason. Curiosity doesn’t kill just cats. Learn all possible escape routes; you will need only one, but it’s a good idea to have an alternative route in mind in case something happens to eliminate your primary choice.
Remember that if a volcano erupts it will most likely trigger several other hazardous situations, such as mudflows and flashfloods, landslides and rock-falls, earthquakes, ashes and pumice storms, and tsunamis. Some of these, such as earthquakes, might even act as warning signals of a possible eruption. Be aware!
Something else to keep in mind about volcanoes is that not all seemingly dormant volcanoes are sleeping. The Pompeians had no idea that Vesuvius was an active volcano, so they were taken completely by surprise.
Course of Action During an Eruption
The California Seismic Safety Commission has made several suggestions on what should be done:
- Avoid areas that are downwind and downstream from the volcano.
- If caught indoors, you should make sure that the house is completely sealed.
- If caught outdoors, seek shelter indoors; in case of rock-fall, roll into a ball and cover your head.
- Protect yourself during ash-fall by covering yourself and using the dust mask.
- Stay out of restricted areas – there’s definitely a reason they are restricted.
- If you see water or mud levels begin to rise, move quickly to high ground.
The most important thing you can do is follow the directives of the authorities. If they say to evacuate, do so IMMEDIATELY. The Pompeians bided their time, and ended up not leaving at all.
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