Day 13 - Our Trip Erupts

Day 13 - Pompei and Herculaneum

Today we jumped into the Roman era with guided tours of Pompei and Herculaneum, cities destroyed after the 79AD eruption of Mt. Vesuvius.

Our tour guide for both towns was Mariagrazia. She has an archeology degree specializing in Greek and Roman eras and was a fantastic source of information. She fed us a ton of information and she was able to answer all our questions about the history of the area, the eruption, the later excavations, etc.

Both towns are on the Bay of Naples, south and east of current day Naples. Vesuvius sits between Pompei and Herculaneu. Naples is a medieval town, so didn't exist during the Roman era.  

The two towns had a long pre-Roman history. Neolithic, Etruscans, and Greeks all inhabited the area before Romans. Both towns were prosperous, with Pompei's population about 15,000 and Herculaneum about 4,000. The area had a history of earthquakes, but the local population wasn't aware of that Vesuvius was a volcano.

We visited Pompei first. Pompei was also the first of the towns hit. The eruption on October 24 caused an initial ash cloud that quickly settled over Pompei, burying everything and everyone. About 2000 bodies have been found during excavation, so some people may have escaped. The site remained untouched until the early 1700’s when a local farmer discovered a Roman area map that showed the city and excavation began. The first excavations were haphazard and almost as destructive as beneficial. Looting was also common. Even with all that, the current site is amazing. The forum, temples, basilica, shops, baths, and houses are all preserved in various states. Frescos on walls and tiled floors were also viewed. It’s just amazing.

The volcano is on the far right. 

Roman “fast food” - the lots were full of soups 

and various foods people could take home to eat. 

Stepping stones across roads so when trash was being washed away one could cross the street. 

One of many samples of preserved frescos in Pompei. 

A “garden in a wealthy home 

Painting on a dining room wall. 

The Theater 

Herculaneum was a bit different after the eruption. The ash was blown away from it, but the fast flow of gases and lava converged on the town, burying it. Interestingly, most of the bodies here were women and children. No one is quite sure where the men were. Their bodies have not been found. 

 Various building materials 

Shelves in “locker room” of men’s bath 

Wood supports that calcified. 

Living room of a wealthy house. 

Floor mural that looks like an area rug

Second story still standing. 

Boat “garages” where most bodies were found. Theorized that people ran to the beach to get to the boats but the water flow had gone out and boats were beached. People took shelter in boat docks and died. These are reproductions of the bodies but still very moving. All were women and children, except for one soldier outside. 

Artificers in the museum. So many everyday items like a pasta colander (top left). 

Mosaic with a cat showing they were pets. 

A boat that they think came to try and save

 people but was then trapped. 

Tomorrow is a light day where we just plan to dawdle along the Amalfi coast for the day before stopping in Sorrento for the night.