Pompeii is a city buried alive. Ancient apocalypse

What do we know about the ancient city of Pompeii? History tells us that once this prosperous city instantly died with all its inhabitants under the lava of an awakened volcano. In fact, the history of Pompeii is very interesting and filled with a lot of details.

Founding of Pompeii

Pompeii is one of the oldest Roman cities, which is located in the province of Naples in the Campania region. On one side is the coast (which was previously called Kumansky), and on the other is the Sarn River (in ancient times).

How was Pompeii founded? The history of the city says that it was founded by the ancient Oska tribe back in the 7th century BC. These facts are confirmed by fragments of the Temple of Apollo and the Doric Temple, the architecture of which corresponds to the period when Pompeii was founded. The city stood right at the intersection of several routes - to Nola, Stabia and Cumae.

Wars and Subjugation

The first harbinger of the impending disaster was the earthquake that occurred on February 5, 63 BC.

Seneca noted in one of his works that since Campania was a seismically active zone, such an earthquake was not uncommon for it. And earthquakes had occurred before, but their strength was very small, the residents simply got used to them. But this time expectations exceeded all expectations.

Then in three neighboring cities - Pompeii, Herculaneum and Naples - buildings were greatly damaged. The destruction was such that over the next 16 years the houses could not be completely restored. Throughout 16 years, active restoration work, reconstruction, and cosmetic repairs were carried out. There were also plans to erect several new buildings, for example, the Central Baths, which could not be completed before the death of Pompeii.

Death of Pompeii. The first day

Residents tried to restore Pompeii. The history of the death of the city indicates that the disaster began in 79 BC, on the afternoon of August 24 and lasted 2 days. The eruption of what was until then thought to be a dormant volcano destroyed everything. Then not only Pompeii, but also three more cities - Stabiae, Oplontia and Herculaneum - perished under the lava.

During the day, a cloud consisting of ash and steam appeared above the volcano, but no one paid much attention to it. A little later, a cloud covered the sky over the entire city, and flakes of ash began to settle on the streets.

The tremors coming from underground continued. Gradually they intensified to such an extent that carts overturned and finishing materials fell off houses. Along with the ashes, stones then began to fall from the sky.

The streets and houses of the city were filled with suffocating sulfur fumes; many people were simply suffocating in their homes.

Many tried to leave the cities with valuables, while others who were unable to leave their property died in the ruins of their homes. The products of the volcanic eruption overtook people both in public places and outside the city. But still, most of the inhabitants were able to leave Pompeii. History confirms this fact.

Death of Pompeii. Second day

The next day, the air in the city became hot, and the volcano itself erupted, destroying with lava all living things, all buildings and property of people. After the eruption there was a lot of ash that covered the entire city, the thickness of the ash layer reached 3 meters.

After the disaster, a special commission arrived at the scene of events, which stated the “death” of the city and that it could not be restored. Then it was still possible to meet people on what was left of the streets of the former city who were trying to find their property.

Along with Pompeii, other cities perished. But they were discovered only thanks to the discovery of Herculaneum. This second city, also located at the foot of Vesuvius, did not die from lava and ash. After the eruption, the volcano, like the affected cities, was covered with a three-meter layer of stones and ash, which hung menacingly like an avalanche that could fall at any moment.

And soon after the eruption, heavy rain began, which carried away a thick layer of ash from the slopes of the volcano and a thick layer of water with dust and stones fell directly on Herculaneum. The depth of the stream was 15 meters, so the city was buried alive under the flow from Vesuvius.

How Pompeii was found

Stories and stories about the terrible events of that year have long been passed down from generation to generation. But several centuries later, people lost the idea of ​​where the lost city of Pompeii was located. The history of the death of this city gradually began to lose facts. People lived their own lives. Even in those cases when people found the remains of ancient buildings, for example, while digging wells, no one could even think that these were parts of the ancient city of Pompeii. The history of excavations began only in the 18th century and is indirectly connected with the name of Maria Amalia Christina.

She was the daughter of King Augustus of Saxony the Third, who left the Dresden court after her marriage to Charles of Bourbon. Charles was king of the Two Sicilies.

The current queen was in love with art and examined the halls of the palace, parks and her other possessions with great interest. And one day she drew attention to the sculptures that were previously found before the last eruption of Mount Vesuvius. Some of these statues were found by chance, while others were found at the instigation of General d'Elbeuf. Queen Mary was so amazed by the beauty of the sculptures that she asked her husband to find new ones for her.

The last time Vesuvius erupted was in 1737. During this incident, part of its top flew into the air, leaving the slope exposed. Since the volcano had not been active for a year and a half, the king agreed to begin searching for sculptures. And they started from the place where the general had once finished his search.

Search for statues

Excavations took place with great difficulties, since it was necessary to destroy a thick (15 meters) layer of hardened lava. For this, the king used special tools, gunpowder, and the strength of workers. Eventually the workers came across something metallic in the artificial shafts. Thus, three large fragments of gigantic bronze horses were found.

After this, it was decided to seek help from a specialist. For this, Marquis Marcello Venuti, who was the keeper of the royal library, was invited. Further, three more marble statues of Romans in togas, the body of a bronze horse, and painted columns were found.

Discovery of Herculaneum

At that moment it became clear that there would be even more to come. The royal couple, arriving at the excavation site on December 22, 1738, examined the discovered staircase and the inscription stating that a certain Rufus built the Theatrum Herculanense theater at his own expense. Experts continued excavations because they knew that the theater signified the presence of a city. There were many statues that were carried by the water current to the back wall of the theater. This is how Herculaneum was discovered. Thanks to this find, it was possible to organize a museum that had no equal at that time.

But Pompeii was located at a shallower depth than Herculaneum. And the king, after consulting with the head of his technical team, decided to move the excavations, taking into account the scientists’ notes regarding the location of the city of Pompeii. History celebrated all memorable events with the hands of scientists.

Excavations of Pompeii

So, the search for Pompeii began on April 1, 1748. After 5 days, the first fragment of a wall painting was found, and on April 19, the remains of a man were found, from whose hands several silver coins rolled out. This was the city center of Pompeii. Unfortunately, not realizing the importance of the find, experts decided that they needed to look elsewhere and filled up this place.

A little later, an amphitheater and a villa were found, which was later called the House of Cicero. The walls of this building were beautifully painted and decorated with frescoes. All art objects were confiscated, and the villa was immediately filled back up.

After this, the excavations and the history of Pompeii were abandoned for 4 years, attention turned to Herculaneum, where a house with a library “Villa dei Papiri” was found.

In 1754, experts again returned to the excavations of the city of Pompeii, to its southern part, where an ancient wall and the remains of several graves were found. Since then, excavations of the city of Pompeii have been actively undertaken.

Pompeii: an alternative history of the city

Today there is still an opinion that the year of the death of Pompeii is a fiction, based on a letter that supposedly describes the volcanic eruption to Tacitus. Here questions arise about why in these letters Pliny does not mention either the names of the cities of Pompeii or Herculaneum, or the fact that it was there that the uncle of Pliny the Elder lived, who died in Pompeii.

Some scientists refute the fact that the disaster occurred precisely in 79 BC, due to the fact that in various sources one can find information about 11 eruptions that occurred between 202 and 1140 AD (after the incident that destroyed Pompeii). And the next eruption dates back only to 1631, after which the volcano remained active until 1944. As we see, the facts indicate that the volcano, which was active, fell asleep for 500 years.

Pompeii in the modern world

The history of the city of Herculaneum and the history of Pompeii remain very interesting today. Photos, videos and various scientific materials can be found in the library or on the Internet. Many historians are still trying to solve the mystery of the ancient city and study its culture as much as possible.

Many artists, including K. Bryullov, in addition to their other works, depicted the last day of Pompeii. The story is that in 1828 K. Bryullov visited the excavation sites and even then made sketches. In the period from 1830 to 1833, his artistic masterpiece was created.

Today the city has been restored as much as possible, it is one of the most famous cultural monuments (on par with the Colosseum or Venice). The city has not yet been completely excavated, but many buildings are available for inspection. You can walk along the streets of the city and admire the beauty that is more than 2000 years old!

Presumably, the founders of Pompeii were the Osci, one of the peoples of Ancient Italy. Already the ancients expressed different opinions about the origin of the name Pompeii. Some traced it to the triumphal procession (pomp) of Hercules after the victory over Geryon. Others refer to the Osk word for “five” (pumpe). According to this version, Pompeii was formed as a union of five communities.

According to one who wrote in the 1st century AD. e. The city was founded by the geographer Strabo. Later, the Etruscans seized control of it, and then, after victories over the Etruscans, the Greeks. Later, the city was taken from the Greeks by the Samnites, a people related to the Oscans. This happened in the 5th century BC. e. Archeology records the decline of urban life in this century. Perhaps Pompeii was abandoned for some time.

In the 4th century BC. e. Pompeii became part of the Samnite Federation. The city served as a port for the Samnite cities located higher up the Sarno River. In the 4th century BC. e. A series of wars took place between the Roman Republic and the Samnites. During them, in 310 BC. e. Roman troops landed near Pompeii. The Romans devastated the lands of Nuceria, neighboring Pompeii. Later, residents of the rural area of ​​Pompeii attacked the legionnaires returning with the loot, took the loot and drove them onto the ships.

Source: wikipedia.com

The Romans defeated and subjugated the Samnites and their allies. From now on, Pompeii, along with other Campanian cities, became part of the Roman-Italian Confederation. Self-government was maintained in the city. Pompeii was supposed to be allies of Rome and also provide auxiliary troops.

During the Samnite era, Pompeii was governed by a city council. Among the issues of his responsibility was, in particular, construction. Direct supervision of construction work and its payment was carried out by the quaistur (Latin version - quaestor), the official responsible for the city treasury. The supreme power in the city belonged to an official with the title “meddissa tuvtiksa”, which is translated as “city ruler”.

The annexation to Rome gave impetus to the development of the city in the 3rd century BC. e. At the end of the century, the population of Pompeii grew. In the 2nd century BC. e. new public buildings appeared - temples, theaters, baths. Luxurious mansions appear. Among them is the famous “House of Faun”, on the wall of which there is a fresco depicting the battle of the Macedonians and Persians at Issus.

Paradoxically, the development of Pompeii was stimulated by the war between Rome and Hannibal. After crossing the Alps and defeating Roman troops, the Carthaginian commander invaded Campania. Capua, the strongest city in the region, went over to his side. Nuceria remained loyal to Rome and was destroyed by Hannibal for this. During the war, the Romans took Capua and punished their unfaithful ally.

Pompeii itself was not taken by the Carthaginians and became a refuge for refugees from other Campanian cities. This explains the growth of urban construction at the end of the 3rd century BC. e.

The elite of the Campanian city received their share of wealth from Rome's expansion into the Mediterranean in the 2nd century BC. e. There is evidence of contacts between Pompeii merchants and eastern markets. In particular, with the island of Delos. Pompeii itself contains oriental spices. The frescoes in the House of the Faun speak of the artistic taste and interest of its owner in history.

Allied War: Pompeii vs. Sulla

In 91 BC. e. a number of Italian communities (including Pompeii) rebelled against Rome. This conflict went down in history as the Allied War. The allies who rebelled against Rome sought equal status with the Romans in the state. After three years of war, the Romans defeated the rebellious allies. But after that they gave them the rights of Roman citizenship.

In 89 BC. e. During the war, Pompeii was besieged by the Roman commander Lucius Cornelius Sulla. In a series of battles near the city, Sulla defeated the Campanian commander Cluentius, who was trying to lift the siege of Pompeii. The city surrendered soon after the defeat and death of Cluentius.

Pompeii was not destroyed and received Roman citizenship. Ten years later, Sulla, who defeated his opponents and became dictator, founded a colony of his veterans in the city. From now on, Pompeii received the status of a Roman colony, and the old Oscan magistrates were replaced by new Roman ones. Office work in the city is transferred to Latin. And in the last century of the city, the number of records in Oscan has been decreasing.

City of Roman times: Pompeii under the Empire

During the imperial era, Pompeii was a modest provincial town. The famous garum sauce and wine were produced here. In part, the inhabitants of the colony tried to copy the buildings of Rome itself. In the city there was a forum on which stood the temples of Jupiter, Juno and Minerva. In the wall niches of one of the buildings there were statues of the founders of Rome - Aeneas and Romulus. Beneath them were inscriptions detailing their deeds. The same inscriptions telling about Aeneas and Romulus were also in the Roman forum.

Italian cities were associated with Rome and the imperial house. In particular, Marcellus, nephew and one of the possible heirs of Augustus, held the semi-official position of patron of Pompeii.

Source: wikipedia.com

In 59 AD e. Pompeii became notorious for the massacre within the city walls. It was during gladiator fights, but the battle began between the townspeople of Pompeii and Nuceria. Residents of the cities began to bully each other, then took up stones, and then swords and daggers. The Pompeians won the brawl.

Information about the massacre reached Emperor Nero, who ordered the Senate to conduct an investigation. As a result, the Senate banned Pompeii from holding gladiatorial games for 10 years, and their organizer Livineus Regulus went into exile.

Interestingly, Livineus Regulus had been stripped of his senatorial title several years earlier. That is, a disgraced representative of the ruling class could find refuge in Pompeii and become a benefactor of the townspeople.

Pompeii was located 240 kilometers from Rome. Residents of the capital could reach the Campanian city within a week. Therefore, many noble and rich Romans built their villas in the vicinity of Pompeii. In particular, back in the era of the Republic, Cicero acquired such a villa.

Source: wikipedia.com

The highest officials in Pompeii were its two elected rulers, the duumvirs. They assembled the city council and presided over it. To become a duumvir, a careerist from Pompeii had to pass through the post of aedile, which opened the way for its holder to the city council. City council members held this title for life. The aediles were responsible for urban improvement - supplying bread, maintaining streets and baths, and organizing spectacles.

In civil cases with a small amount of claim, the duumvirs were chairmen. Criminal cases and more complex civil cases were tried in Rome. The duumvirs were also responsible for the city treasury.

Source: wikipedia.com

Once every five years, the elected duumvirs were called quinquennals (five-year students). They updated the lists of the city council - adding new people, crossing out the dead and those who lost the right to membership in the council for crimes. They also compiled lists of city citizens.

Council members accepted reports from officials and exercised supreme oversight of city affairs. A freedman who became rich did not have the right to hold positions and enter the council, but he could achieve this for his son. The inscription preserves the curious case of a certain Celsinus, who became a decurion (member of the council) at the age of 6 for rebuilding the temple of Isis, damaged by an earthquake.

In Pompeii and other Roman cities, the positions of duumvir and quinquinnal opened doors to the urban elite, but required wealth from the applicant. Duumvir Pompey contributed 10,000 sesterces upon taking office.

During the performance of his office, citizen Pompey held festivities at his own expense. For example, Aulus Clodius Flaccus was duumvir three times. During his first master's degree, he organized games in honor of Apollo at the forum, which included a bullfight, musical competitions and a performance by the artist Pylades (apparently a local celebrity). The second time, in addition to games on the forum, he organized baiting of animals and gladiator fights in the amphitheater. The third time was the most modest - a performance by artists and musicians. Another quinquinnal emphasized in his inscription that he held gladiatorial fights without spending public funds.

Passions boiled over the elections of officials, comparable to the elections of consuls in Republican Rome. The walls of the city preserved records calling for voting for one or another of the citizens of Pompeii who wanted to become a duumvir or aedile. It is interesting that the agitation mainly concerned the position of aedile.

About 12 thousand people lived in Pompeii, and about 24 thousand in the rural area. Half of them were slaves. Most of the remainder were women and children. Thus, the electorate during the elections was about 2,500 city residents and 5,000 in the rural district.

The inscriptions were painted over and new ones were written over them. The propaganda inscription could have been addressed to a specific citizen of Pompeii. A city resident could carve an inscription on the wall of his house to show his position.

An example of a caricature on a wall in Pompeii. (wikipedia.com)

They campaigned for candidates and professional associations. For example, carpenters, cab drivers, bakers or jewelers. Members of the Youth Union, which included young people from noble families, proposed their candidates to the townspeople.

Sometimes poems were written in favor of candidates or their professional and moral qualities were emphasized in prose. And sometimes they called on a respected citizen to vote for a candidate, because “choose Sabinus as aedile, and he will choose you.”

There were original posts supporting candidates that probably should have discredited them. These are words of encouragement written on behalf of pickpockets, runaway slaves, drunkards or slackers.

Elections in Pompeii resembled those in other cities of the Roman world. The civil community was divided into curiae, each of which chose its own candidate.

Elections were held in March, and magistrates took up their duties in July. Pompeians could become duumvirs again, but not for two years in a row.

Eruption of Mount Vesuvius: death of the city

About 80 years before the eruption, Vesuvius was visited by the geographer Strabo. The scientist wrote that almost to the very top the volcano is covered with flowering fields. Only the ashen peak itself reminded that this place once spewed fire.

Vulcan announced his awakening in 63 AD. e. earthquake. It destroyed several cities in Pompeii, Herculaneum and Naples. Some of them have not been restored in 16 years.

Evidence of the disaster was left by her contemporary Pliny the Younger, who then lived in coastal Misenum (about 30 kilometers from Pompeii). Misenum was the base of the Roman fleet, and one of the ships was commanded by Pliny’s uncle, Pliny the Elder.

On August 24, people saw a cloud rising above the volcano. Pliny the Elder took his ship towards Pompeii. His nephew wrote that the scientist was driven by the desire to save people from the city and scientific curiosity. Pliny the Elder ordered to record all the changes that occur in the cloud.

An earthquake began at night, and the next day people did not see the sun. At first there was twilight, then darkness fell, and ash began to fall from the sky. When it dissipated, it turned out that there were no neighboring cities, and the Sarno Valley was covered with ash. First, the city was covered with pieces of pumice, then with ashes.

Most of the residents fled the city on the first day. Those who decided to stay and sit out the disaster in their homes, and those who decided to escape too late, died. Their feet got stuck in the pumice, and then they were finished off by a rain of ash and water. Some Pompeians ran to the harbor, but either there were no ships or they were already disabled by ash and stones.

On August 24, 79, Vesuvius erupted. It was so strong that it completely destroyed three cities. Pompeii, Herculaneum and Stabiae simply disappeared from the face of the Earth. Many residents died in severe torture, and their houses were buried under a multi-meter layer of stones and volcanic ash.

It is believed that the story of the death of Pompeii is well known. Archaeological excavations are constantly underway there. Eyewitness accounts have also been preserved. The same Pliny described everything in great detail. However, much about this tragedy remains unclear, and new facts are constantly emerging:

The inhabitants of Pompeii knew that there might be an eruption

The harbinger of the tragedy was a powerful earthquake that occurred in 62. There were practically no undamaged buildings left in the city at that time, some were completely destroyed. And the day before the eruption of 79 there was a series of tremors. Of course, the inhabitants of Pompeii did not understand that this was connected with the volcano. But they believed: the earth was shaking due to the heavy tread of the giants, who warned that people were in danger of death.

Shortly before the eruption, the water temperature in the Bay of Naples increased sharply, and in some places reached the boiling point. All streams and wells on the slopes of Vesuvius have dried up. From the depths of the mountain, eerie sounds began to be heard, reminiscent of a drawn-out groan. That's interesting the roar of the earth, which has been heard all over the planet in recent years, also foreshadows the death of thousands of people?

Most of the residents managed to leave the city

About a tenth of the population died on the streets of Pompeii - about 2 thousand people. The rest may have managed to escape. This means that the disaster did not take people by surprise. This is clear from Pliny's letters. True, the remains of the dead were found outside the city, so no one knows the exact number of dead. According to some reports, the total number of victims of the eruption in Pompeii, Herculaneum and Stabia is 16 thousand people.

People fled to the harbor, hoping to leave the dangerous territory by sea. During excavations on the coast, many remains were discovered. Apparently, the ships were unable or did not have time to accept everyone. And those who remained hoped to sit out in remote cellars or closed rooms. Then, however, they tried to get out, but it was too late.

How Pompeii really died

Some believe that people burned alive in streams of hot lava, and the city was engulfed in flames. In fact, everything was not like that. Vesuvius practically did not erupt lava at that time. And if fires did break out anywhere, it was only by accident. This is known from the letters of Pliny.

First, a gray-black column of smoke and ash rose from the crater. Then the volcano began to eject larger debris. The hot cloud reached 33 kilometers in height. The energy of Vesuvius was many times greater than that released during the atomic explosion over Hiroshima. People rushed through the streets in panic, but quickly became exhausted, fell and covered their heads with their hands in despair.

Destructive hydrothermal pyroclastic flows poured into the city. Their temperatures reached 700 °C. They brought fear and death. Hot water mixed with ash, and the resulting mass stuck to everything that was in its path. A rockfall began. All this lasted 18-20 hours. The volcano erupted a huge amount of stones and slag.

It was difficult to breathe, a heavy black veil hung in the air. People fought for their lives, tried to escape from imminent death, and find safe areas. Then they fell exhausted, and were quickly covered with ash. They suffocated and died in cruel agony. Distorted faces, mouths open in a silent scream, convulsively clenched hands, cramped fingers... This is how most of the townspeople died.

As a result, the city was buried under volcanic rocks. The bottom layer consists of stones and small pieces of plasma. Its average thickness is 7 meters. Then there is a two-meter layer of ash. The total is about 9 meters, but in some places the thickness of the rubble was much greater.

The creepy photos are not corpses, but just plaster casts

Most of Pompeii's inhabitants are buried in the upper layers of volcanic ash. They lay there for almost 2 thousand years, but, at first glance, they were well preserved. In the photographs, which are abundant on the Internet, you can see not only the position of the bodies at the moment of death, but even the expression of horror and agony on the faces of the unfortunate people.

But in fact, these are only casts that archaeologists make. The first to come up with this idea was a certain Giuseppe Fiorelli, who led the excavations. Back in 1870, he discovered that voids had formed at the sites where people died. After all, the ash mixed with water that poured onto the city during the eruption densely stuck around the dead. The mass dried and hardened, preserving the exact imprints of bodies, folds of clothing, facial features and even the smallest wrinkles.

By filling them with plaster, the scientist received accurate and very realistic casts. This is how he managed to reproduce people’s poses and obtain their death masks. But the bodies themselves have long since turned to dust. And it’s still creepy... This is not for you photo of chupacabra, which look more like ordinary fakes. Everything is real here.

The death of Pompeii is a punishment for moral degradation

So, at least, some historians and philosophers thought. Indeed, when archaeologists excavated the city, they found many frescoes with unambiguous content. And there were more lupanariums (in other words, brothels) and separate rooms for meetings with prostitutes than, for example, bakeries. No wonder the inhabitants of Pompeii were considered the most dissolute in the Roman Empire.

Vesuvius is still dangerous, the tragedy may repeat itself

After 79, several more eruptions occurred. And each time it was a terrible tragedy. So, in 1631, approximately 4 thousand people became victims of the volcano. In 1805, an eruption killed about 26 thousand people and destroyed most of Naples. In 1944, 27 people died and lava flows destroyed the cities of Massa and San Sebastiano. You can read more about the volcano, and about the death of Pompeii -. By the way, there are documentary videos:

On August 24, 79, one of the most catastrophic eruptions of Mount Vesuvius occurred. The Roman cities of Pompeii, Herculaneum and Stabiae, located at the foot of the volcano, were destroyed. Vesuvius generated a giant hot cloud of stones, ash and smoke up to 33 km high, releasing thermal energy many times greater than that released by the explosion of the atomic bomb over Hiroshima.
Systematic excavations at Pompeii began in 1860. At the same time, researchers found 40 bodies of city residents buried under the ashes. Historians have discovered that the area around Vesuvius was destroyed by pyroclastic flows.
I have always been amazed by the history of Pompeii and Herculaneum - lying for thousands of years under a shallow layer of ash in one of the most densely populated areas of the world - the foot of Vesuvius! Nearby is the largest and oldest city in Italy, Naples, and no one thought to take a shovel and go digging... what if there was something useful left!?

Recently, a huge number of photographs of the affected cities taken by tourists have appeared. The state of preservation is amazing. What was surprising was the fact that at the end of the 19th century the photos showed protruding roofs of buried houses - that is, people knew and remembered that there were towns here, people lived and had property... but no one even dug!!! Naturally, they took care of antiquity!
But I have always been especially amazed by the fact that the date of the death of Pompeii is known until the day - August 24, 79! For thousands of years people remembered this terrible disaster.
I decided to dig into how many other eruptions there were later that were deposited in people’s memory.
I’ll start with the last one - 1944, there are many videos and photo documents.

Everything is the same - ashes, lava and human sacrifices.

The next eruption in the depths of time was 1906...from here https://www.liveinternet.ru/users/bo4kameda/post415512041/

This is a photograph of a buried volcanological observatory founded in 1841-1842.

This is what historians write about the history of Vesuvius eruptions...
“Presumably, the Vesuvius volcano appeared 25,000 years ago as a result of the collision of two tectonic plates. Traces of the oldest known eruption are dated 6940 ± 100 BC. e.

The eruption, which occurred 3,800 years ago, covered the area covering Naples with pyroclastic flows.
The strong (5 on the eruption scale) eruption of 79 destroyed several cities - Pompeii and Stabiae were covered with volcanic ash, up to 8 m thick in places, and Herculaneum was covered with mud flows due to the rain that accompanied the eruption. There is also a version about a large pyroclastic flow that destroyed Herculaneum and Pompeii. The pyroclastic flow was so saturated with gases that they tightly sealed the buildings of the cities, leaving them without oxygen, as a result of which the remains of the victims of the eruption did not decompose, but froze in volcanic ash.
There were also major eruptions in 1631, 1794, 1822, 1872 and 1906. The eruption of 1631 was 10 times weaker than the eruption of 79, but the higher population density of the surrounding areas led to a large number of victims, about 4,000 people. During the eruption, the volcano erupted in several phases. As a result of the eruption, the volcano became lower by 168 m. In 1805, the eruption of Vesuvius was relatively weak, but most of the city of Naples was almost completely destroyed, and about 26 thousand people became victims of the disaster.

The 1872 eruption is also in the photo - https://humus.livejournal.com/3408653.html
There was destruction and casualties, but not very much!
According to historiography, it turns out that the next eruptions in ancient times were 1822, 1794 and 1631, and for all one and a half thousand years Vesuvius was either silent or did not cause any special troubles from the day of the death of Pompeii... it’s not logical... but okay, let’s deal with the last three! Because it is at this time that terrible confusion begins in the testimony of witnesses :::-)))
At that time there were no photographers but there were artists in abundance!
Everyone knows the painting The Last Day of Pompeii written by Karl Bryullov; he created it in 1830 - 1833.
This is what historians write...
“In 1830, Bryullov began work on a large painting with a historical plot - “The Last Day of Pompeii” (1830-1833), commissioned from him by Anatoly Nikolaevich Demidov. The idea of ​​the painting was connected with the fashion for archeology that arose at that time and with the relevance: Vesuvius erupted in 1828. For a more accurate and complete transmission of the tragedy, Bryullov carefully studied numerous literary sources that spoke about the ancient catastrophe, and visited excavations in Pompeii and Herculaneum and made a number of sketches of the landscape, ruins, and fossilized figures on the spot.”
That is, here the testimony of witnesses differs from the official dates of the eruption of Vesuvius - Bryullov observed the eruption in 1828 personally! The lava and ashes cooled down and, like any curious person, I went to see what happened there at the sites of the tragedy... participated in the excavations... well, in a completely human way, I helped dig up the town.

Although the painting is dated 1817, according to the official biography, not everything was so wrong...
“In 1819 Turner visited Italy for the first time. He visited Turin, Milan, Rome, Venice, Naples. He studied the works of Titian, Tintoretto, Raphael, and contemporary Italian artists. After traveling to Italy, his painting became more vibrant, the palette intense with a predominance of primary colors. The Venetian theme occupied a special place in the artist’s work. He visited this city three times (in 1819, 1833, 1840), and memories of it fueled his imagination for many years.” Well, these are little things...

Here is another witness...” “The eruption of Vesuvius” is a recurring theme in four paintings and at least one sketch by the English artist Joseph Wright, who traveled through Italy in 1773-1775. One of them, "Vesuvius from Portici", is in the Huntington Library in California; the second, “Eruption of Vesuvius, overlooking the islands in the Bay of Naples” - in the Tate Gallery, London; the third, Vesuvius from Posillippo, can be seen at the Yule Center for British Art; the fourth, known by the same name, is in a private collection.
In 1774, Wright made a gouache sketch during his travels, which is now kept in the Derby Museum and Art Gallery.

But the most interesting is Pierre-Jacques Volaire, nicknamed Chevalier Volaire (Pierre-Jacques Volaire; 1729 - 1799) - a French landscape painter.
Born in Toulon in the family of an official city artist (his grandfather was a decorative artist in the arsenal). He studied with Claude Joseph Vernet, with whom he worked for eight years from 1754 to 1762. Vernet's work had a decisive influence on the formation of Wohler's style.
In 1762, Wohler moved to Rome, where he became a member of the Academy of St. Luke and received the honorary title of knight. But competition in the art market forced the artist to move to Naples in 1767. He lived in Naples until his death.

Judging by his paintings and dating, Vesuvius erupted for several years...

There are a huge number of artists who depicted the eruption of Vesuvius, and basically all the paintings are from the 20s - 30s of the 19th century, the second mass of paintings is from the end of the 18th century, a time in which there were no memorable eruptions... however, judging by the pictures, these were grandiose events!

Here are a bunch of photos of Naples and Pompeii and other surroundings of Vesuvius https://humus.livejournal.com/3997368.html

So I think that Card Bryullov really helped to dig up the freshly buried Pompeii!
What is most interesting is that Pompeii fell asleep only once and then not completely... the roofs of many buildings were sticking out. One of the photos shows a view of Naples from Pompeii, that is, the town is in real direct visibility from Naples! In most paintings depicting the eruption of Vesuvius at the beginning of the 19th century, the view is from Naples and all the lava and stones are flying towards Pompeii... one problem is the dating! But this, as they say, is a question for historians!

Pompeii is an ancient Roman city in southern Italy near Naples. As you know, Pompeii was buried under a multi-meter layer of ash during the eruption in 79. Nowadays, the city is a huge open-air museum, inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1997.

The city was founded by the Osci in the 6th century. The name of the city comes from the Oscan pumpe - five, since the city was formed by the merger of five smaller settlements. In Roman times, the division into five electoral districts remained. Another version of the origin of the name is Greek, from the word pompe - triumphal procession.

According to this legend, the city was founded by Hercules, who, after defeating Geryon, solemnly walked through these places. At different times the city was ruled by the Greeks, Etruscans and Samnites. In 310 BC. Pompeii became an ally of the Roman Republic as an autonomous, self-governing city.

In 90-88 BC. the city takes part in the revolt against Rome.

In 89 BC. Consul Sula took the city, limited its autonomy and made it a colony of Rome. The city occupied an important place on the trade route between and Southern Italy. Many noble Romans had villas on the territory of Pompeii. A high-profile event was the massacre between the inhabitants of Pompeii and Nuceria in 59 during the gladiatorial games. An ordinary fight between fans turned into a bloodbath. As a result, games were banned in Pompeii for 3 years.

Tickets

Entrance ticket to the archaeological complex of Pompeii costs 15 euros. For visitors under 18 years of age, admission is free, but you must show a document confirming your age.

• We recommend buying tickets in advance online only at official ticket offices ticketone.it
  See registration on the website.

How to get from Naples on your own

You can get to Pompeii on your own from Naples, by bus or rented car. We recommend options with public transport (in the south of Italy it travels according to mood and not regularly), only to the most experienced travelers with time to spare and a great desire to save money. Let's look at all the methods in detail:

By rented car

If you are traveling through small towns in Italy on your own, then you can come to Pompeii by personal transport - Of the independent options, it is the most convenient. Parking near the archaeological zone will cost approximately 5 euros per hour. We recommend reading about the features of car rental in Italy and choosing the best option on our website

• You will need:

By train

In Naples, Napoli Porta Nolana and Napoli P. Garibaldi stations have direct trains Circumvesuviana (literally translated “Around Vesuvius”) - of the options, public transport is the only one we can recommend. Here is a link to the schedule. You need to get off at Pompei Scravi Villa dei Misteri station– it is located almost next to the ticket office. The drive is approximately 30 minutes.

Tickets can be purchased in advance online at the ticket office ots.eavsrl.it/web/public/ots/ticket/index

Choose the Napoli-Sorrento line and ticket to Villa Misteri, date and number of passengers. Click Avanti. Please note that the site is also available in English, the switch on the right is the British flag.

Electric trains depart in the morning from 09:06 and 11:36.

To visit Pompeii you need to allocate at least 2 hours. You can also take this line to . From Pompeii back to Naples the train leaves at 17:18, a round-trip ticket costs 11 euros, there are no discounts for children.

Trenitalia companies depart from Naples Central Station towards Pompei station approximately every 30 minutes. The ticket costs 2.80 euros one way. If the train arrives on schedule and there are no stops, the travel time will be 38 minutes. Be prepared for frequent stops, proximity to gypsies and various beggars.

The station is located about 3 kilometers from the entrance to the archaeological park, so it makes sense to wait for bus 004 (possibly N50) and take it 3 stops.

Google advises looking at the schedule on the website of the official carrier http://www.fsbusitaliacampania.it, but, for example, in the schedule of bus 4 I don’t see the Mazzini stop. Apparently it’s easier to ask the locals upon arrival, they should help. We will be grateful if someone shares their adventure experience in the comments.

By bus

According to information from Google, direct buses N5000 and N5020 from SITAsud go to the archaeological complex relatively regularly from Naples - I do not recommend this option, since there is no real schedule or prices on the carrier’s website. To complete the picture, let's consider this method.

The Via Ferraris Galileo bus stop in Naples is located about a kilometer from Napoli Centrale station.

Bus tickets should cost 10 euros and can be purchased at:

• BAR ETTORE, PIAZZA GARIBALDI 95
• Inside Napoli Centrale station look for EDICOLA NUMBER ONE HUDSON NEWS
• ARPANET, corso Arnaldo Lucci, 163
• BIGLIETTERIA NAPOLI CAPOLINEA, PIAZZALE IMMACOLATELLA VECCHIA 1
• BAR DEL PORTO, VIA C OLIVARES ANG. VIA CAMPO D'ISOLA 26
• BAR TIRAMISU’, Napoli – Corso Lucci

What to see

Here are the attractions of Pompeii that are recommended to be visited during the tour:

1. Temple of Apollo - one of the oldest temples of the ancient city is dedicated to the Greek god Apollo. The first mentions of the shrine date back to the eighth century BC, which is also confirmed by archaeological excavations. Now we can only imagine and speculate, but most likely on the site of the current ruins there was first an altar, and only a hundred or two hundred years later (they were in no hurry to build before) the main building was built. Today, of the majestic colonnade containing 28 columns, only two have survived. Also, two millennia later, in the internal niches of the temple we can observe frescoes with scenes from the Trojan War.
2. Refugee Garden
3. Great Palaestra
4. Temple of Jupiter
5. Amphitheater
6. Street of Plenty
7. Thermal Baths
8. Venus's house in the shell
9. Thermopolia
10. Bolshoi and Maly Theater
11. Gladiator Barracks Triangular Forum
12. Lupanarium
13. Forum
14. Eumachia building
15. Temple of Vespasian
16. Market
17. House of the Faun
18. House of the Small Fountain
19. Basilica

Visiting architectural monuments with a good guide will allow you to temporarily immerse yourself in the ancient world and touch its secrets.

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