August 24, 79 eruption of Vesuvius. How the city of Pompeii perished - the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. The last days of Pompeii

ITALY Vesuvius, February 1793-July 1794 Nearly 1,000 residents of Torre del Greco, which lies at the foot of Mount Vesuvius, died in a series of explosions from February 1793 to July 1794. * * * Earthquakes shook the area near Vesuvius from February 1793, and eventually 15 June strong

ITALY Vesuvius, April 4, 1906 and March 18, 1944. Almost 2,000 people died in the two final eruptions of Vesuvius, which took place on April 4, 1906 and March 18, 1944 * * * Almost 2,000 people lost their lives in the last two eruptions of Vesuvius - in 1906 and 1944, the eruption of 1906 began early

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But Vesuvius is famous! He is known all over the world, although even the exact etymology of the name "Vesuvius" is not clearly traced. There are three theories about the origin of the name of the Vesuvius volcano. The first version traces the name of the volcano to the Osk word fest, which means "smoke". The second - to the Proto-Indo-European root ves- - "mountain". In the third version, linguists take as a basis the Latin version: Besbion, which hints at binarity, that is, the two-headed Vesuvius. They trace in the name of the volcano the changed name of the Roman god of the underworld Veyovis (Vediovis, Vedius). The authors of the Roman Empire, the authors of the republic already used the name Vesuvius, while the earlier authors of the times of republican Rome used related forms: Vesevius and Vesbius.

There are three active volcanoes in Italy - Stromboli on the Aeolian Islands, Etna on the island of Sicily and Vesuvius - the only active volcano in continental Europe and the only mountain overlooking the plains of the Campania province. Vesuvius is the most active volcano in Italy, the youngest and one of the most dangerous volcanoes. Its age can be said to be "infantile" and is about 12 thousand years old. It is believed that one of the reasons that created the conditions for the emergence of Vesuvius was the process of displacement of the African plate under the Eurasian level. This led to the collapse of the active tectonic zone of the earth's crust and triggered a cycle of rock activity for the addition of Mount Vesuvius. This happened about 8000-2500 years ago.

The beginning of the direct formation of Mount Vesuvius falls on a period of about 25,000 years ago. This process was accompanied by a cycle of activity of the growing volcano and its numerous eruptions. Geologists have found that the deepest layer of the discovered layers of all eruptions is older than the "25,000 years" mark. This layer lies on top of a layer called Campanian Ingimbrite. So in the language of geologists are called rocks that appear due to the sintering of particles of tuffs and volcanic glass. Their age is about 34,000 years.

Vesuvius has the shape of a truncated cone and is characterized by a complex structure. Such volcanoes with a complex, layered structure are classified as stratovolcanoes. The layered structure is formed over the course of many centuries due to the solidification of layers of lava and volcanic ash at different levels after the next eruption. What we call Vesuvius has a complex structure that includes three cones. This is typical for stratovolcanoes - a conical shape.

The oldest cone is the ruins of a volcanic cone with a huge crater of the ancient Mount Somma (Monte Somma). To date, only the arcuate "rampart of Monte Somma" with a height of about 1138 m on the northern and eastern slopes of the mountain has survived from the cone. The ancient Somme cone, destroyed by many eruptions, is like a huge stone fence encircling Vesuvius from the northern and eastern slopes of the mountain. Thus, Vesuvius himself is directly inside a giant stone fence.

The remains of the Monte Somma cone give Vesuvius from some angles the appearance of a two-headed mountain with two peaks, similar to two-headed mountains, such as Elbrus or Kazbek. After the destruction of Monte Somma, eruptions continued in its crater, which led to the appearance of the second cone, which we can see at the present time. This second cone is medium in size and significantly younger. It is the main volume of Vesuvius. Otherwise, it is called the Big Cone. After the eruptions of Vesuvius, its Great Cone changed its shape and even height several times, depending on the direction of the overlapping layers of lava and volcanic tuff, of which both cones are composed. They are separated by the nearly five-kilometer Atraio di Casollo valley. It is also called the "Somma-Vesuvius volcanic complex".

At the top of Vesuvius there is a crater, in which a third cone periodically forms. It is usually temporary and destroyed by an eruption, since vapors and sulfur gases periodically erupt from the crater and from the fumaroles (cracks) in the Atraio di Casollo valley. Their temperature reaches up to 400 ° C, and they destroy everything in their path. Sulfur gases seep through the soil on the slopes of Vesuvius, and the soil itself in some places on the slopes of Vesuvius is so hot that you can bake eggs in it. Inside Vesuvius at a depth of 3 km. up to 10 and even more below, up to 15 km., there are magma chambers. Located in them, magma has a high temperature in which various elements melt, which leads to an increase in the concentration of dissolved gases and is fraught with violent eruptions in the future.

According to the head of the Italian national civil defense service, Guido Bertolazo, Vesuvius is the most dangerous volcano not only in Italy, but throughout the world. Despite the fact that it does not show signs of life for a long time, it can not only begin to erupt, but threatens to explode like an atomic bomb. Bertolazo believes that "if Vesuvius explodes, not only Naples and all of Italy will suffer, but also many European countries." Therefore, in the Vesuvius zone, his service is always in readiness number one, and news about Vesuvius is always broadcast not only by the Italian media, but by Eurovision and RIA Novosti.

Vesuvius is famous for several reasons
This only active volcano in mainland Europe is located not in a desert area, but in densely populated sunny Italy. Directly at the foot of Vesuvius, 9 km. from it, the third largest, after Rome and Milan, the three millionth (with suburbs) beautiful city of Naples, constantly living in fear of a new eruption, flourishes.

Until now, Vesuvius spared Naples, despite the fact that after the catastrophe of 79 and the death of Pompeii, there were eight eruptions of Vesuvius, which were not very powerful, during 16 centuries, and the most significant eruptions were observed in 1036, 1306, 1631, 1737, 1766, 1769, 1779, 1794, 1805, 1822, 1872 and 1906 If we count by years, then the years of eruptions were quite frequent: the second century - 172, the third century - 203, 222, fourth century - 303, 379, fifth century - 472, sixth century - 512, 536, seventh century - 685, eighth century -787, ninth century - 860, tenth century - 900, 968.991, 999, eleventh century - 1006, 1037 , 1049 , 1073, twelfth century - 1139, 1150, thirteenth century - 1270, fourteenth century - 1347, fifteenth century - 1500, seventeenth century - 1631, and also six times in the 18th centuries, eight times in the 19th century, and in the twentieth century - 1906, 1929 and 1944. Ash from the eruptions spread over vast areas of southern Europe and even reached Istanbul and Egypt. But every time the trouble avoided Naples, except for the eruption of 1805, which, although it was relatively weak, suffered a fairly significant part of Naples, almost completely destroyed.

The eruption of Vesuvius in 1631 was 10 times weaker than the eruption of 79, but the higher population density of the villages and cities adjacent to Vesuvius caused a large number of victims, about 4,000 people. During the eruption of 1631, the volcano erupted in several phases, and as a result, its cone, torn off by an explosion of gases, became 168 m lower, 15 cities were destroyed by mud flows, and about 35 thousand people became victims of the disaster.

The eruption of Vesuvius in 1794 quite strong, completely destroyed the city of Torre del Greco in the vicinity of Naples. A fiery stream of red-hot lava 2000 feet wide, washing away several villages in its path, rushed with fury the steep slopes of Vesuvius. This full-flowing fiery river fell on the flourishing city, the entire eighteen thousand population of which rushed to the sea, seeking salvation there. But even the sea was powerless to stop the flow of lava. The first parts of the lava flows froze in the water, the next ones flowed along them, and for many kilometers the water in the sea boiled. Only huge schools of cooked fish were swimming in the boiling sea.

The eruption of Vesuvius in 1906

On April 4, early in the morning, a crack opened on the southwestern side of the cone, from which magma began to pour out. Cooling down and becoming lava, it increased the height of the volcano's cone to 1322 meters above sea level. By midnight, a new crack opened, about 360 meters below the first. Another stream of incandescent magma poured out of it, while volcanic activity clearly continued to increase in the crater, judging by further events. After a while, a deafening explosion was heard and the top of the cone shot up sharply upward. She herself and huge fragments of old lava floated smoothly in the air like falling autumn leaves. These were the so-called "lava bombs" - boulders of sintered cooling ash mixed with stones weighing up to 2 tons. Falling to the ground, they destroyed houses and churches along with the people who were in them. In the village of San Giuseppe, 105 parishioners were crushed while trying to find refuge inside the local cathedral from the wrath of Vesuvius. Two days later, in the early morning of April 6, another, third crack, opened on the slope of Vesuvius. The lava flowing out of it moved towards the city of Torre Annunziata and, in the end, flooded it. For the next two days, the eruption continued. New lava flows with an enormous amount of ash and stones covered the cities of Terzigno, Ottaviano and San Giuseppe. Then came the culmination - a terrible explosion of gases. It began on April 8 at 3:30 and lasted 12-15 hours. A terrible sight was the release of gas so powerful that the upper part of the crater flew off, increasing its diameter and throwing such an amount of volcanic ash into the air that hot mud streams carried the settling ash for several days. When torrential rains poured down at the end of April, a new problem arose - mudslides. They filled Ottaviano and caused significant damage in and around the city. Almost 1000 people died.

The eruption of Vesuvius in 1944

The 1944 eruption coincided with the bombing of Naples by American aircraft and the occupation of Italy by American forces. On this occasion, the Italians sadly joked that Vesuvius saluted the American victory over Ducho. Vesuvius did not affect Naples, but about 2,000 people died there from the explosions of American bombs. During the eruption of 1944, the cities of Ario de Cavallo, Massa and San Sebastiano suffered the most, but there were no numerous casualties.

Lava flows 90 meters wide and 9 meters deep first flooded the Atraio di Casollo valley, filling the entire area of ​​the valley, called the "Somma-Vesuvius volcanic complex". Further, passing through the cities of Ario de Cavallo, Massa and San Sebastiano, she left behind only a smoking plain with smoking skeletons of ruins of houses sticking out among it.

Other lava flows snaked from the west side of the volcano's cone. At the same time, the volcanic activity in the crater did not deplete, but increased, throwing huge amounts of ash and slag into the atmosphere. New York Times journalist Milton Broker, who was in Italy at the time to cover the course of the war, watched the eruption, wrote: “Those who watched Vesuvius this morning will not forget it. then a stream of fierce volcanic matter, forgotten when the branching of lava appeared ... it was like a monstrous paw of an even more monstrous lion, slowly creeping up to its prey. As the stream approached, huge boulders cracked and fell, igniting small fruit trees ... The general sound was like the crackle of countless slag jumping out of a furnace. played with him, stretching and bending to his liking ... "

It was the last historic eruption of Mount Vesuvius, in which 27 people died when one of the lava flows destroyed the cities of San Sebastiano and Massa. The height of the lava fountain from the central crater reached 800 m. After the eruption of 1944, weak fumarolic activity is observed on Vesuvius, but it can wake up at any minute.

Naples

For a modern person, Naples is the birthplace of the famous Italian singing school "Bel canto", the great tenor Enrico Caruso and the incomparable movie star of the 60s and 70s, Sofia Loren. Naples is also the island of Capri, located near the city in the Gulf of Naples, and, of course, Vesuvius, to look at which about 4 million tourists come to Italy every year. People are reckless and expect that the sleepy state of the volcano will last for their lifetime, and then - they think little about it. For centuries, they settled on its slopes generously fertilized with volcanic ash, since after each eruption the local soils were perfectly fertilized not only with ash, but also with mineral elements, and this gives excellent yields. And in the past centuries, and still on the lower parts of the slopes of Vesuvius, desperate Italians set up orchards and vineyards.

In 1995, the Italian authorities developed a plan for the emergency evacuation of the population from the Vesuvius zone. Since then, "just in case" the authorities have been keeping under control the data of the volcanological observatory, which was equipped back in 1842 on the slope of the volcano at an altitude of about 600 meters. Constant observation by volcanologists from the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology in Pisa (INGV) and the specially founded Vesuvius Observatory from this institute helps to control the neighborhood of a dangerous landmark, which tourists love to photograph.

Vesuvius may wake up in the coming years, as evidenced by the facts of observations of the condition of the slopes of the mountain and the vicinity of the volcano: in 1983-1985, an area of ​​80 sq. km. as it were, it rose in some places up to 1.8 meters, which led to damage to both residential buildings and the Neapolitan harbor, as well as buildings and structures of the tourism industry.

Scientists believe that for a clearer idea of ​​the possible behavior of Vesuvius in the future, it will be necessary to turn to computer modeling more than once. A team of volcanologists Augusto Neri recently performed a 3D simulation of the Vesuvius eruption. According to the results of computer simulations, the upcoming eruption of Vesuvius may turn out to be quite comparable in strength to the catastrophic eruption of 79 years, when during the eruption Vesuvius threw out a deadly cloud of ash and smoke to a height of 20.5 km., And also every second erupted about 1.5 million tons of molten rock and crushed pumice. At the same time, a huge amount of thermal energy was released, which was many times greater than the amount released during the explosion of an atomic bomb over Hiroshima.

Modeling showed that 200 thousand people living in the north and northwest of the "red zone" will have more time to leave the dangerous area: for them, Mount Somme will become a saving barrier for a while. In addition, scientists predict that the very last phase of the eruption will pose a mortal danger to people, as a result of which a cloud of hot ash and asphyxiant gas will descend to the foot of Vesuvius. In addition, the temperature of magma exiting the Vesuvius crater can reach 950 degrees Celsius. Going down and spreading along the edge of the "red zone" with a radius of 7 km. it cools slightly and will be about 200 degrees Celsius.

In a study released by the American Academy of Sciences, it is said that during the Bronze Age, when Vesuvius erupted most often, streams of burning lava at high speed traveled 25 km along the northwestern slope of the volcano, that is, they went far beyond modern Naples. With an eruption of such force, everything within a radius of 12 km is literally washed away by the force of the stream. To the east of the volcano, a significant amount of pumice ejected during the eruption can settle, which in modern conditions can lead to the collapse of roofs.

According to research by a group of volcanologists from INGV led by Augusto Neri, if the authorities do not evacuate the population from a potentially dangerous zone in time, up to 300 thousand people can become victims of Vesuvius. According to their forecasts, the fate of ancient Pompeii may well be divided by two dozen settlements in Italy located near the mountain, since the possibility of a repetition of an eruption of this magnitude is quite large. Therefore, the city administration is obliged to regularly update city communications, improve the city's transport network, including the subway, and discuss with the local population routes for an organized retreat to the sea. In 2003, the population of Naples "just in case" was allocated 724 million euros, of which each voluntarily resettled family is owed 30,000. Ultimately, 36,000 people were resettled from the vicinity of Naples.

Almost all the inhabitants of the city of Pompeii and those who did not have time to leave Herculaneum died as a result of the terrible eruption of Mount Vesuvius. This happened on August 24, 79 AD.

* * *
Vesuvius, one of the many volcanoes in the vicinity of Naples, emerged as an underwater volcano in the Gulf of Naples. Then it appeared as an island, which, as a result of the accumulation of eruption products, joined the land. It is believed that the first volcanic eruptions occurred after the end of the ice age, that is, about 10,000 years ago.

But since the ancient people did not record the years of activity of Vesuvius, the mountain seemed to be asleep for hundreds of years, until the catastrophic eruption in 79, when Pompeii and Herculaneum were destroyed.
The earliest known inhabitants of this area called themselves "Oscans". They were primitive herders. Around 800 BC Greeks appeared and willingly settled in these places. The forests were full of game. The soil around the mountain, saturated with ancient deposits of rich volcanic ash, has proven to be strikingly fertile. On it, apple, pear, fig, cherry, melon, almond and pomegranate trees grew. It was possible to harvest wheat twice a year, barley and millet once a year, and vegetables and grapes were grown everywhere.

Not surprisingly, the cities of Pompeii on the slope of Vesuvius and Herculaneum at the foot of the mountain grew and flourished. After the conquest of Greece by Rome in 88 BC. NS. Pompeii became the jewel in the imperial crown. The city had its own cathedral - the Temple of Jupiter and the forum. The Roman thinker Guy Quintus Balbus created an amphitheater that can accommodate 16,000 spectators - the entire population of the city. This happened during the gladiatorial battles, which, ironically, will also take place on the afternoon of August 24, 79 AD.

In 62 A.D. nature has issued a warning to the inhabitants of the slopes of Vesuvius. A powerful earthquake shook the area. Public buildings were destroyed, villages were swept away, parts of Pompeii and Herculaneum were turned into ruins. Despite these events, in the next 17 years, new temples arose in the cities, even better, more beautiful and majestic. New baths, taverns and theaters were built.
So they stood until the afternoon of August 24, 79 A.D. NS. On that day, Vesuvius woke up with an incredible roar after a long hibernation and exploded, throwing a huge cloud of hot ash into the sky. Lightning flashed. Hot stones and pumice fragments flew to the ground along with the ashes. Then the western part of the volcano exploded and fell into an expanded crater.

Pliny the Elder stood at the westernmost promontory of the Gulf of Naples, at the foot of the mountain in Misena. He, like Gaius Pliny Secundus, commanded military galleys. The eruption of the volcano amazed him with its grandeur. Pliny the Elder conveyed his impressions to his nephew, Pliny the Younger, who at the time was 17 years old. Pliny the Younger wrote two letters to the Roman historian Tacitus. In one he described his uncle's impressions and experiences, in the other - his own. These letters were the first recorded eyewitness accounts of the eruption of Vesuvius.

Pliny the Younger wrote about his uncle:
“At about one o'clock in the afternoon, my mother left him (Pliny the Elder) to watch the cloud, which seemed very unusual in size and shape. The cloud, from which at such a distance the impression was created that the mountain was waving, rose in the form - I cannot give you a more accurate description - a pine tree, since it grew to a very high height in the form of a long trunk, and at the top there was some kind of branches ... Sometimes it seemed bright, and sometimes dark and spotty, depending on whether it was more or less filled with earth and ash ... "

Pliny the Elder ordered the crew of his ship to move towards this cloud. As they swam closer, hot ash began to fall on the ship. Pliny also described "an unexpected retreat of the sea", which indicates the likelihood of a tsunami that day. Pliny the Elder landed on the shore. Climbing the side of the mountain, he met his friend Ponomonius.

Further Pliny the Younger describes as follows:
“They consulted about whether it would be more prudent to hide in the houses, which now swayed from side to side from the frequent and violent tremors, as if they were shaken under the foundations; or to run across to open fields, where heated stones and ash fell, albeit in a light, but abundant stream, and threatened destruction. In this choice between the dangers, they decided in favor of the fields. Then they went out, tying pillows over their heads; and that was all their protection from the hail of stones falling around. "

Further from the letter it followed that Pliny the Elder reached the coast, intending to go to sea, but waves and steam rose on the sea, and he lay down to sleep. Then a scene follows: “He got up with the help of two of his servants and immediately fell down dead; as I suppose, from suffocation with some dense and harmful fumes ”.

The assumption of Pliny the Younger has raised doubts among historians. They concluded that Pliny the Elder must have died of a heart attack, rather than being poisoned by volcanic gases. Otherwise, his companions would also have died.

Meanwhile, Pliny the Younger, who remained with his mother in Misena, wrote down his own observations for Tacitus. Here's what he noticed as he walked out of the swaying house:

“The panic-stricken crowd followed us and (like any soul distraught with horror, any proposal seems more prudent than her own) pressed on us in a dense mass, moving forward as we left ... We froze in the midst of the most dangerous and terrifying scene. The chariots that we dared to take out shook so violently back and forth, although they were on the ground, that we could not hold them even with large stones under the wheels. The sea seemed to roll back and was pulled away from the shores by the convulsive movements of the Earth; the land has definitely expanded considerably, and some sea animals have ended up on the sand.

Then it brightened considerably, which we assumed was a harbinger of an impending burst of flame (and this turned out to be true), and not a return of daylight; however, the fire fell at some distance from us; then we plunged into dense darkness again, and a heavy downpour of ash fell on us, we had to stop and shake it off from time to time, otherwise, we would have been crushed and buried under its weight ... Finally, the terrible darkness began to dissipate little by little, as a cloud of smoke; daylight reappeared, and even the sun came out, although its light was gloomy, as happens before an approaching eclipse. Every object that appeared before our eyes (which were extremely weak) seemed to have changed, covered with a thick layer of ash, as if snow. "

This happened on the morning of the third day after the first eruption of Vesuvius.

Pliny did not describe the fate of Pompeii and Herculaneum. For many years, both cities remained buried and silent. Pompeii is under an almost 8-meter layer of ash and pumice, and Herculaneum is under a mud stream up to 20 meters thick.

The world at that time did not pay attention to the two Roman metropolises. On the site of Herculaneum, a new city arose - Rezina. And where Pompeii once stood, they laid out vineyards. Ironically, it took nearly 1,600 years and another catastrophic eruption of Vesuvius to excavate the cities and reconstruct the history of that fateful day.

And as soon as diggers and archaeologists began to work their way through the hardened ash and pumice, numerous descriptions of the last hours of Pompeii appeared, when at least 2,000 of its inhabitants died.
The first significant eruption of Vesuvius after the cataclysm of 79 occurred in 1631. Shortly after this eruption, workers digging water supply systems and reservoirs stumbled upon Roman coins and stole them. Then, until the beginning of the 18th century, the area was plundered by gold miners. Until one lucky digger dug a cache of alabaster and marble.

From that time until 1860, a wide variety of high-ranking robbers appeared who dug up statues, various products and even parts of buildings. Among them was Sir William Hamilton, the British envoy to Naples from 1764 to 1800. An amateur archaeologist, he sold excavated artifacts to the British Museum.

37-year-old archaeologist Giuseppe Fiorelli had only to get the right to search for the lost city and restore the events of that August day of 79. He (and some before him) discovered that a special combination of pumice and ash actually sealed the city, saving it from time and destruction. Fiorelli dug up the amphitheater, along with the skeletons of the gladiators, who remained in the position they must have assumed at the first stream of molten ash. Blackened loaves of 1,800-year-old bread are preserved in the bakery's oven. The colors of the frescoes on the walls have been preserved intact.

Of course, the bodies of those killed in the eruption of the volcano decomposed soon after they were covered with ash, but the prints remained completely untouched by time. Fiorelli filled these remaining forms of human bodies with plaster of paris and, thus, gave the last hours of Pompeii a naturalness. He reproduced the postures of people as they looked at the time of death.

Roman soldiers were found trapped in stocks and were probably serving their sentences during the eruption. They dug up the Ishidi temple, where a statue of a goddess, decorated with purple and gold fabrics, stood on a pedestal. In the next room, the body of a priest was found with an ax in his hand. And in another room, another priest was sitting at the dining table in full confidence that the temple would protect him from the deadly ash that fell on the streets of the city. Elsewhere, a man was dug up in an upright position with a sword in hand, his foot resting on a pile of silver and gold. Around were the bodies of five alleged robbers, whom he probably killed while defending the property.

Outside the city, in the suburban villa of Diomedes, 18 adults, a boy and a baby were found in the cellar. “Long blond hair has adhered to the children's skulls,” said the historian, who was able to reconstruct in detail the situation surrounding this group of victims. It turned out that while the family was trying to hide in the cellar, the servants stole family values ​​and went on the run. At the gate of the villa, two skeletons were found: one clutching a bunch of keys and a large bag of money in his hand, and the other clutching two silver vases.

In the “House of the Faun”, recreated by another unknown historian, “there was a skeleton of a woman with her hands raised above her head. Scattered jewelry lay on the floor beside her. Finally deciding to leave the house, she found that the door was blocked by a mountain of ash. At that moment, the ceiling began to collapse, and she raised her hands in a vain attempt to keep the roof from falling on her. That's how they found her. "

A large number of the inhabitants of both Pompeii and Herculaneum were found with their hands or clothes raised to their mouths. Obviously, they were trying to protect themselves from the penetrating deadly gases. Many bodies were found near the sea, often with belongings in their hands. Apparently, the explosion caught them while they were trying to escape by sea.

Experts decided that the city of Pompeii had a high level of development before the disaster. The city had 118 bars and taverns that offered food, drink and entertainment to merchants and sailors from all over the Roman Empire. Some had gambling rooms. And in some places there were found signs that there were provided with prostitutes. In Thermopoly (a tavern specializing in hot wines), the walls were inscribed with the names of women. Perhaps, like the Andalusian dancers, who, according to Martial, "shook their voluptuous hips with endless lust." One inscription read: "Lucilla Sells Her Body." Another, left by a certain Livia to someone named Alexander, teased: "Do you think I'll be sad if you die tomorrow?"

Archaeologists continue to excavate all the new surviving remains of the involuntary burials of the inhabitants of Pompeii. So, on August 29, 1991, workers, clearing a place for one of the services, found the shriveled bodies of 8 people. One teenage girl was wearing a slave ring. Their faces were covered with tunics, probably to protect them from the gases that most likely killed them. The faces of the victims are turned towards the sea, which was only 200 meters away.

When Herculaneum was dug out from under a giant layer of mud, it turned out that there were very few bodies in it. They made the assumption that the mud mass of volcanic ash, fragments of lava and pumice, which filled all the corners and crevices of the city, reached the city streets not in the first hours of the eruption, but, probably, somewhere on the third day. Thus, most of the population had the opportunity to escape.

: 40 ° 49'17 ″ s. NS. 14 ° 25′32 ″ in. etc. /  40.82139 ° N NS. 14.42556 ° E etc./ 40.82139; 14.42556(G) (I)(T)

Systematic excavations in Pompeii began in 1860, at the same time researchers found 40 bodies of city residents buried under the ashes. Historians have found that the vicinity of Vesuvius was destroyed by pyroclastic flows. Pliny the Younger, an ancient Roman politician and writer, witnessed the disaster and described it in his notes -

…"a huge black cloud was rapidly approaching ... from it every now and then long, fantastic tongues of flame escaped, resembling flashes of lightning, only much larger"…

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Links

• on youtube (Retrieved April 1, 2016)- reconstruction of the eruption, created for the Melbourne Museum Zero One Animation.

Notes (edit)

1. Randy Alfred. . Wired(February 4, 2011). ...
2. Daniel Mendelsohn. . The New York Times(December 21, 2003). Retrieved 4 February 2011.
3. . Time(October 15, 1956). Retrieved 4 February 2011.
4. Andrew Wallace-Hadrill. . BBC History(October 15, 2010). Retrieved February 4, 2011.
5. . BBC(October 29, 2007). Retrieved 4 February 2011.
6. Lindsey Doermann. . Cosmos(December 27, 2010). Retrieved 4 February 2011.
7. Daniel Williams. . Washington Post(October 13, 2004). Retrieved 4 February 2011.
8. Raphael Kadushin. . Orlando Sentinel(September 13, 2003). Retrieved February 3, 2011.
9. Raffaello Cioni; Sara Levi; Roberto Sulpizio (2000). "" (Geological Society) v. 171: 159-177. DOI: 10.1144 / GSL.SP.2000.171.01.13.
10. Haraldur Sigurdsson; Stanford Cashdollar; Stephen R. J. Sparks (January 1982). "The Eruption of Vesuvius in A. D. 79: Reconstruction from Historical and Volcanological Evidence." American Journal of Archeology(American Journal of Archeology, Vol. 86, No. 1) 86 (1): 39-51. DOI: 10.2307 / 504292.
11. Dan Vergano. . USA Today(March 6, 2006). Retrieved 5 February 2011.
12. John Roach. . MSNBC... Retrieved 6 February 2011.

Excerpt from the Eruption of Vesuvius (79)

Pursued by a hundred thousandth French army under the command of Bonaparte, met by hostile residents, no longer trusting their allies, lacking food and forced to act outside all foreseeable conditions of war, the Russian thirty-five thousandth army, under the command of Kutuzov, hastily retreated down the Danube where it was overtaken by the enemy, and fighting back with arier-guard deeds, only as far as it was necessary in order to retreat without losing the burden. There were cases at Lambach, Amsteten and Melk; but, in spite of the courage and steadfastness, recognized by the enemy himself, with whom the Russians fought, the consequence of these deeds was only an even faster retreat. The Austrian troops, who escaped captivity at Ulm and joined Kutuzov at Braunau, now separated from the Russian army, and Kutuzov was left only to his weak, exhausted forces. Defending Vienna was out of the question. Instead of an offensive, deeply thought-out, according to the laws of a new science - strategy, war, the plan of which was transferred to Kutuzov during his time in Vienna by the Austrian hofkriegsrat, the only almost unattainable goal, now presented to Kutuzov, was that, without destroying the army like Mack under Ulm, join up with the troops marching from Russia.
On October 28, Kutuzov with his army crossed to the left bank of the Danube and for the first time stopped, putting the Danube between himself and the main forces of the French. On the 30th, he attacked the Mortier division on the left bank of the Danube and defeated it. In this case, trophies were taken for the first time: a banner, guns and two enemy generals. For the first time after a two-week retreat, the Russian troops stopped and after the struggle not only held the battlefield, but drove out the French. Despite the fact that the troops were stripped, emaciated, weakened by one third by the backward, wounded, killed and sick; despite the fact that the sick and wounded were left on the other side of the Danube with a letter from Kutuzov, entrusting them with the enemy's philanthropy; despite the fact that the large hospitals and houses in Krems, turned into infirmaries, could no longer accommodate all the sick and wounded, despite all this, the stop at Krems and the victory over Mortier significantly raised the morale of the troops. Throughout the army and in the main apartment there were the most joyful, albeit unfair rumors about the alleged approach of columns from Russia, about some kind of victory won by the Austrians, and about the retreat of the frightened Bonaparte.
Prince Andrew was during the battle with the Austrian General Schmitt, who was killed in this case. A horse was wounded under him, and he himself was slightly scratched in the arm by a bullet. As a sign of the commander-in-chief's special favor, he was sent with the news of this victory to the Austrian court, which was no longer in Vienna, which was threatened by French troops, but in Brunn. On the night of the battle, agitated, but not tired (despite his weak-looking build, Prince Andrey could bear physical fatigue much better than the strongest people), having arrived on horseback with a report from Dokhturov to Krems to Kutuzov, Prince Andrey was sent on the same night by courier to Brunn. Sending by courier, in addition to the awards, meant an important step towards promotion.
The night was dark and starry; the road blackened between the white snow that had fallen the day before, on the day of the battle. Either sorting through the impressions of the past battle, now happily imagining the impression he would make with the news of the victory, remembering the farewell of the commander-in-chief and his comrades, Prince Andrey rode in a postal cart, feeling the feeling of a man who had waited a long time and finally reached the beginning of the desired happiness. As soon as he closed his eyes, the firing of guns and guns was heard in his ears, which merged with the clatter of wheels and the impression of victory. Then he began to imagine that the Russians were fleeing, that he himself had been killed; but he woke up hastily, with happiness as if he was once again learning that none of this had happened, and that, on the contrary, the French had fled. He again recalled all the details of the victory, his calm courage during the battle and, having calmed down, dozed off ... After a dark starry night, a bright, cheerful morning came. The snow melted in the sun, the horses galloped quickly, and indifferently to the right and to the left passed various new forests, fields, villages.
At one of the stations, he overtook the convoy of the Russian wounded. The Russian officer who was driving the transport, lounging on the front cart, was shouting something, scolding the soldier with harsh words. Six or more pale, bandaged and filthy wounded were shaking along the rocky road in long German foreships. Some of them spoke (he heard Russian dialect), others ate bread, the heaviest ones silently, with gentle and painful childish sympathy, looked at the courier galloping past them.
Prince Andrey ordered to stop and asked the soldier in what case they were wounded. "The day before yesterday on the Danube," answered the soldier. Prince Andrew took out a purse and gave the soldier three gold pieces.
“At all,” he added, addressing the officer who had approached. - Get well, guys, - he turned to the soldiers, - there is still a lot to do.
- What, Mr. Adjutant, what news? - asked the officer, apparently wanting to talk.
- Good ones! Forward, - he shouted to the driver and galloped on.
It was already quite dark when Prince Andrew drove into Brunn and saw himself surrounded by tall houses, lights of shops, windows of houses and lanterns, beautiful carriages rustling along the pavement and all that atmosphere of a big lively city, which is always so attractive for a military man after a camp. Prince Andrew, in spite of the fast ride and a sleepless night, approaching the palace, felt even more lively than the day before. Only the eyes glittered with a feverish brilliance, and thoughts changed with extraordinary rapidity and clarity. All the details of the battle were vividly presented to him again, not vaguely, but definitely, in a condensed presentation, which he made in his imagination to Emperor Franz. The random questions that could be put to him and the answers that he would make to them vividly presented itself to him; he thought that he would be presented to the emperor at once. But at the large entrance of the palace, an official ran out to him and, recognizing him as a courier, escorted him to another entrance.
- From the corridor to the right; there, Euer Hochgeboren, [Your Highness] you will find the aide-de-camp on duty, ”the official told him. - He leads to the Minister of War.
The aide-de-camp on duty, who met Prince Andrew, asked him to wait and went to the Minister of War. Five minutes later, the adjutant's wing returned and, bending down especially politely and letting Prince Andrei pass ahead of him, led him through the corridor to the office where the Minister of War was studying. The adjutant wing, with his exquisite courtesy, seemed to want to shield himself from the attempts at familiarity of the Russian adjutant. The joyful feeling of Prince Andrey weakened considerably when he approached the door of the office of the Minister of War. He felt insulted, and the feeling of insult turned at the same instant, unnoticed by him, into a feeling of contempt, based on nothing. The resourceful mind at the same instant suggested to him the point of view from which he had the right to despise both the adjutant and the minister of war. "It must be very easy for them to gain victories without smelling gunpowder!" he thought. His eyes narrowed contemptuously; he especially slowly entered the office of the Minister of War. This feeling intensified even more when he saw the Minister of War sitting over a large table and for the first two minutes did not pay attention to the newcomer. The Minister of War lowered his bald head with gray temples between two wax candles and read, marking with a pencil, papers. He finished reading without raising his head, while the door opened and footsteps were heard.

Vesuvius is the only volcano on the territory of mainland Europe that has not fallen into a long hibernation since ancient times to the present day. In almost every century, this fire-breathing dragon made Italians really nervous. But the most terrible eruption occurred at the dawn of our era - almost two thousand years ago, as a result of a monstrous catastrophe, four cities disappeared from the face of the earth at once, buried under a layer of ash and volcanic lava. Vesuvius volcano erupted.

Pompeii did not expect trouble

A huge volcano on the shores of the Gulf of Naples at the junction of the old and new eras “gushed” several times. One of the eruptions occurred literally 15 years before the death of Pompeii - then many houses of this ancient city were destroyed by tremors.

And on the distant August day of the apocalypse of the 79th year, people first felt frightening vibrations - the earth shook under their feet. But the locals are accustomed to such behavior of Vesuvius, so they did not attach much importance to it. When lava flows from the volcano's mouth, and a cloud of volcanic ash enveloped the city, it was too late to run. Everything happened too quickly, and even the ships of the nearby squadron could not land on the shores of Italy to save people.

Almost the entire population, more than twenty thousand souls, perished in one day. Many simply suffocated in the smoke of the fires. And Pompeii itself was covered with stones and ash for 7 meters. The same thing happened in another city located at the foot of the volcano - Herculaneum.

But here's what is interesting - if hundreds of bodies were found during the excavations of Pompeii, in Herculaneum such sad finds by archaeologists turned out to be isolated. And this despite the fact that Herculaneum suffered more from the eruption. Historians suggest that the inhabitants of Pompeii simply did not attach importance to the alarming signs of an impending disaster, which is why it took them by surprise. And in Herculaneum, the townspeople realized what this roar and a cloud of black dust flying from the volcano's mouth threatened them - and left their homes in time to lose everything they had acquired, but to save their lives.

Undying Torch

Having collected this terrible harvest, Vesuvius did not calm down. Instead of cities that had fallen to the ground, new ones arose, but the volcano again and again reminded of itself, forcing people to flee. Subsequently, this area experienced 12 more powerful eruptions. In 1631, ash escaping from the mouth of the volcano was able to reach Istanbul. And in the relatively recent 1944, Vesuvius literally gushed with lava, which soared to a height of 800 meters! This eruption also failed to avoid casualties - three villages were destroyed, 57 people died.

Today Vesuvius seems to be resting. But this calmness can be deceiving. And even though a gorgeous park is quietly spread around the volcano, which receives tourists from all over the world, but the activity of the Italian monster day and night, from year to year, is tirelessly monitored by the employees of a special seismic station.