Gaius Plinius Caecilius Secundus, aka Pliny the Younger came from a patrician family and was brought up by his Uncle, Pliny the Elder after Pliny's Father died when he was eight. Pliny the Younger was well-educated and studied rhetoric (persuasive speaking and writing) under many famous teachers like Quintilian. Pliny was a writer, a lawyer, and a Roman senator. Today Pliny is most widely recognised for his letters to friends and colleagues which are written historical accounts which give great historical insight into life in Ancient Rome. Pliny was 18 years old when Mt Vesuvius erupted and his letters to his friend Cornelius Tacitus on the events surrounding the eruption of Mt Vesuvius and the death of his Uncle is the only written primary eye witness account.
"...between 2 and 3 in the afternoon my mother drew his attention to a cloud of unusual size and appearance. He had had a sunbath, then a cold bath, and was reclining after dinner with his books. He called for his shoes and climbed up to where he could get the best view of the phenomenon. The cloud was rising from a mountain -- at such a distance we couldn't tell which, but afterwards learned that it was Vesuvius. I can best describe its shape by likening it to a pine tree. It rose into the sky on a very long "trunk" from which spread some "branches." I imagine it had been raised by a sudden blast, which then weakened, leaving the cloud unsupported so that its own weight caused it to spread sideways. Some of the cloud was white, in other parts there were dark patches of dirt and ash."
From this piece of writing from Pliny's letter he describes the events leading up to his Uncle's death, including the eruption of Mt Vesuvius. It is clear that from at least 1-3 in the afternoon the sun had been out and the sky had not yet been darkened by the eruption as Pliny the Elder had had a sunbath. The way that the cloud was shaped like a pine tree suggests to us today that the cloud could be classified as a 'mushroom cloud'. The eruption column is described as not being able to support its own weight which matches up to our evidence today that the eruption column eventually grew too heavy to support itself and ended up collapsing. The dark patches of dirt and ash help us distinguish the explosive eruption as emitting gas, ash and pumice but no lava.
"Ash was falling onto the ships now, darker and denser the closer they went. Now it was bits of pumice, and rocks that were blackened and burned and shattered by the fire. Now the sea is shoal; debris from the mountain blocks the shore. He paused for a moment wondering whether to turn back as the helmsman urged him. "
This describes how the ash and pumice was distributed during the eruption and shows how a great deal of pumice/stones had fallen into the sea making it hard to steer the ship through the water. Since the helmsman encouraged Pliny to turn back we can see how people were frightened by the eruption and some were trying to escape and get as far away from it as possible.
"They discussed what to do, whether to remain under cover or to try the open air. The buildings were being rocked by a series of strong tremors, and appeared to have come loose from their foundations and to be sliding this way and that. Outside, however, there was danger from the rocks that were coming down, light and fire-consumed as these bits of pumice were."
There are descriptions of the tremors or earthquakes which were occurring in the aftermath of the initial eruption, naturally the earthquakes would have unsettled the people even more and set them into a panic. The indecision of where to go shows how unprepared the people were for an event like the eruption of Mt Vesuvius and exhibits how the people of Pompeii would have been unsure of where to go or how to act and how ultimately many would have perished because of their indecision and uncertainty about escaping from the proximity of Mt Vesuvius. This relates to how when Pompeii was excavated different body casts were found indoors and outdoors.
"They tied pillows on top of their heads as protection against the shower of rock. It was daylight now elsewhere in the world, but there the darkness was darker and thicker than any night"
From this excerpt we can see that effects of the eruption progressively intensified as the night passed and a new day begun. At this point, the sun would have been obscured from view due to the dark clouds of the eruption column looming over Mt Vesuvius, visually turning day into night. The people desperately tried to protect themselves but the way that many have not fled and are instead trying to cover themselves with pillows indicates the inadequacy of their knowledge of the nature of an eruption and how they could be thinking that nothing worse was to come from the eruption than rock showers and falling ash so they might as well stay put and wait it out. The Roman people near Mt Vesuvius had experience with earthquakes but not with volcanic eruptions.
"Then came an smell of sulfur, announcing the flames, and the flames themselves, sending others into flight but reviving him. Supported by two small slaves he stood up, and immediately collapsed. As I understand it, his breathing was obstructed by the dust-laden air.."
Pliny the Elder's death is related here and indicates that the air which he inhaled was most likely full of toxic gases and so he suffocated from these gases and the lack of pure oxygen.
"We decided to leave the town finally; a dazed crowd follows us, preferring our plan to their own (this is what passes for wisdom in a panic). Their numbers are so large that they slow our departure, and then sweep us along."
After calmly resting and reading a book for a while Pliny and his Mother finally decide to leave their town (Misenum) as they buildings begin to shake more seriously and they are afraid that some will collapse. This shows the general attitude to the eruption, people thought that it was just another case of earthquakes and treated it with not much concern to begin with. When Pliny leaves town many leave with him as they are unsure of what to do and decide to take some action and follow him instead.
"You could hear women lamenting, children crying, men shouting. Some were calling for parents, others for children or spouses; they could only recognize them by their voices. Some bemoaned their own lot, other that of their near and dear. There were some so afraid of death that they prayed for death. Many raised their hands to the gods, and even more believed that there were no gods any longer and that this was one last unending night for the world."
This helps us to truly understand the disorder and panic of the people during the eruption and the horror which they were feeling. From this excerpt we are given an insight into how terrified the people were, that they even prayed for death. We also see how the Roman people believed in the Gods and used their religion in times of strife although due to the extreme fear they were experiencing, many even gave up on the Gods. It could be inferred that peoples belief in the Gods held them back from fleeing and trying to escape as they believed that every natural occurrence was caused by the Gods so instead of taking action and escaping, they prayed to the Gods for deliverance.
"In addition, it seemed as though the sea was being sucked backwards, as if it were being pushed back by the shaking of the land. Certainly the shoreline moved outwards, and many sea creatures were left on dry sand."
This is from Pliny's second letter to Tacitus which focuses on Pliny the Younger's own experiences during the eruption. This part of his writing seems to tell us that something like a tsunami occurred. There is much dispute over this as many experts on the eruption affirm that there is no evidence to verify that a tsunami did occur. It is possible though that there was a minor tsunami due to the force at the climax of the eruption.
"..but darkness and ashes came again, a great weight of them. We stood up and shook the ash off again and again, otherwise we would have been covered with it and crushed by the weight."
The amount of ash-fall is emphasised in Pliny's writer showing the extent how deeply and quickly the towns of Pompeii and Herculaneum would have been buried by ash and volcanic debris.
"...between 2 and 3 in the afternoon my mother drew his attention to a cloud of unusual size and appearance. He had had a sunbath, then a cold bath, and was reclining after dinner with his books. He called for his shoes and climbed up to where he could get the best view of the phenomenon. The cloud was rising from a mountain -- at such a distance we couldn't tell which, but afterwards learned that it was Vesuvius. I can best describe its shape by likening it to a pine tree. It rose into the sky on a very long "trunk" from which spread some "branches." I imagine it had been raised by a sudden blast, which then weakened, leaving the cloud unsupported so that its own weight caused it to spread sideways. Some of the cloud was white, in other parts there were dark patches of dirt and ash."
From this piece of writing from Pliny's letter he describes the events leading up to his Uncle's death, including the eruption of Mt Vesuvius. It is clear that from at least 1-3 in the afternoon the sun had been out and the sky had not yet been darkened by the eruption as Pliny the Elder had had a sunbath. The way that the cloud was shaped like a pine tree suggests to us today that the cloud could be classified as a 'mushroom cloud'. The eruption column is described as not being able to support its own weight which matches up to our evidence today that the eruption column eventually grew too heavy to support itself and ended up collapsing. The dark patches of dirt and ash help us distinguish the explosive eruption as emitting gas, ash and pumice but no lava.
"Ash was falling onto the ships now, darker and denser the closer they went. Now it was bits of pumice, and rocks that were blackened and burned and shattered by the fire. Now the sea is shoal; debris from the mountain blocks the shore. He paused for a moment wondering whether to turn back as the helmsman urged him. "
This describes how the ash and pumice was distributed during the eruption and shows how a great deal of pumice/stones had fallen into the sea making it hard to steer the ship through the water. Since the helmsman encouraged Pliny to turn back we can see how people were frightened by the eruption and some were trying to escape and get as far away from it as possible.
"They discussed what to do, whether to remain under cover or to try the open air. The buildings were being rocked by a series of strong tremors, and appeared to have come loose from their foundations and to be sliding this way and that. Outside, however, there was danger from the rocks that were coming down, light and fire-consumed as these bits of pumice were."
There are descriptions of the tremors or earthquakes which were occurring in the aftermath of the initial eruption, naturally the earthquakes would have unsettled the people even more and set them into a panic. The indecision of where to go shows how unprepared the people were for an event like the eruption of Mt Vesuvius and exhibits how the people of Pompeii would have been unsure of where to go or how to act and how ultimately many would have perished because of their indecision and uncertainty about escaping from the proximity of Mt Vesuvius. This relates to how when Pompeii was excavated different body casts were found indoors and outdoors.
"They tied pillows on top of their heads as protection against the shower of rock. It was daylight now elsewhere in the world, but there the darkness was darker and thicker than any night"
From this excerpt we can see that effects of the eruption progressively intensified as the night passed and a new day begun. At this point, the sun would have been obscured from view due to the dark clouds of the eruption column looming over Mt Vesuvius, visually turning day into night. The people desperately tried to protect themselves but the way that many have not fled and are instead trying to cover themselves with pillows indicates the inadequacy of their knowledge of the nature of an eruption and how they could be thinking that nothing worse was to come from the eruption than rock showers and falling ash so they might as well stay put and wait it out. The Roman people near Mt Vesuvius had experience with earthquakes but not with volcanic eruptions.
"Then came an smell of sulfur, announcing the flames, and the flames themselves, sending others into flight but reviving him. Supported by two small slaves he stood up, and immediately collapsed. As I understand it, his breathing was obstructed by the dust-laden air.."
Pliny the Elder's death is related here and indicates that the air which he inhaled was most likely full of toxic gases and so he suffocated from these gases and the lack of pure oxygen.
"We decided to leave the town finally; a dazed crowd follows us, preferring our plan to their own (this is what passes for wisdom in a panic). Their numbers are so large that they slow our departure, and then sweep us along."
After calmly resting and reading a book for a while Pliny and his Mother finally decide to leave their town (Misenum) as they buildings begin to shake more seriously and they are afraid that some will collapse. This shows the general attitude to the eruption, people thought that it was just another case of earthquakes and treated it with not much concern to begin with. When Pliny leaves town many leave with him as they are unsure of what to do and decide to take some action and follow him instead.
"You could hear women lamenting, children crying, men shouting. Some were calling for parents, others for children or spouses; they could only recognize them by their voices. Some bemoaned their own lot, other that of their near and dear. There were some so afraid of death that they prayed for death. Many raised their hands to the gods, and even more believed that there were no gods any longer and that this was one last unending night for the world."
This helps us to truly understand the disorder and panic of the people during the eruption and the horror which they were feeling. From this excerpt we are given an insight into how terrified the people were, that they even prayed for death. We also see how the Roman people believed in the Gods and used their religion in times of strife although due to the extreme fear they were experiencing, many even gave up on the Gods. It could be inferred that peoples belief in the Gods held them back from fleeing and trying to escape as they believed that every natural occurrence was caused by the Gods so instead of taking action and escaping, they prayed to the Gods for deliverance.
"In addition, it seemed as though the sea was being sucked backwards, as if it were being pushed back by the shaking of the land. Certainly the shoreline moved outwards, and many sea creatures were left on dry sand."
This is from Pliny's second letter to Tacitus which focuses on Pliny the Younger's own experiences during the eruption. This part of his writing seems to tell us that something like a tsunami occurred. There is much dispute over this as many experts on the eruption affirm that there is no evidence to verify that a tsunami did occur. It is possible though that there was a minor tsunami due to the force at the climax of the eruption.
"..but darkness and ashes came again, a great weight of them. We stood up and shook the ash off again and again, otherwise we would have been covered with it and crushed by the weight."
The amount of ash-fall is emphasised in Pliny's writer showing the extent how deeply and quickly the towns of Pompeii and Herculaneum would have been buried by ash and volcanic debris.
Thanks to Pliny the Younger's letters we are able to develop a much clearer
picture and understanding of the events of the Eruption of Mt Vesuvius -
what the eruption looked like and how people reacted to it. This is the only
primary eye-witness account of the eruption and has been crucial for historians,
volcanologists and other experts to widen their understanding of the eruption.
However Pliny's letter do have limitations as Pliny wrote these letters about 25
years later and of course by this time his memory may not have been so
clear and he could have easily forgotten some of what happened or described it
with some exaggeration. Another limitation is that in Pliny's first letter, he
described his Uncles exploits and what his Uncle would have seen so Pliny was
not experiencing the events in his first letter himself. Although it has been
said by some sources that Pliny heard the details of his Uncles journey and
death through the sailors who escaped and related the events to him. One
further limitation is how Pliny comments on the event of a tsunami when no proof
of a tsunami occurring has ever been found, this shows how Pliny's descriptions may not always be 100% reliable. From Pliny we also gain significant information on the social customs of the Roman people. Pliny's Uncle, Pliny the Elder showed the loyalty and determination which some Romans felt as he saw it as his duty to go and help save his friends at the bottom of Mt Vesuvius, which he died doing. Pliny the Younger's Mother tried to convince him to save himself and leave her behind showing how Parents, especially Women put themselves after their children, especially healthy young men like Pliny. We also see peoples regard for the Gods and their panic and inexperience at coping with the eruption.
picture and understanding of the events of the Eruption of Mt Vesuvius -
what the eruption looked like and how people reacted to it. This is the only
primary eye-witness account of the eruption and has been crucial for historians,
volcanologists and other experts to widen their understanding of the eruption.
However Pliny's letter do have limitations as Pliny wrote these letters about 25
years later and of course by this time his memory may not have been so
clear and he could have easily forgotten some of what happened or described it
with some exaggeration. Another limitation is that in Pliny's first letter, he
described his Uncles exploits and what his Uncle would have seen so Pliny was
not experiencing the events in his first letter himself. Although it has been
said by some sources that Pliny heard the details of his Uncles journey and
death through the sailors who escaped and related the events to him. One
further limitation is how Pliny comments on the event of a tsunami when no proof
of a tsunami occurring has ever been found, this shows how Pliny's descriptions may not always be 100% reliable. From Pliny we also gain significant information on the social customs of the Roman people. Pliny's Uncle, Pliny the Elder showed the loyalty and determination which some Romans felt as he saw it as his duty to go and help save his friends at the bottom of Mt Vesuvius, which he died doing. Pliny the Younger's Mother tried to convince him to save himself and leave her behind showing how Parents, especially Women put themselves after their children, especially healthy young men like Pliny. We also see peoples regard for the Gods and their panic and inexperience at coping with the eruption.
