00:00 The subject of this podcast episode is the eruption of Mount Vesuvius and the fate of the cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum.

05:22 The destruction of Pompeii and Herculaneum by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius is a well-known event that can be pieced together through written sources, archaeology, and vulcanology, with evidence suggesting that the eruption likely occurred after October 17th rather than on August 24th as previously believed.

09:36 Pompeii and Herculaneum were both active cities in the summer of 79 AD, with evidence of ongoing construction and renovation projects, despite previous earthquakes and damage to buildings.

13:50 Life in Pompeii and Herculaneum continues despite ominous signs, until a massive cloud resembling a mushroom cloud appears in the sky, signaling the eruption of Vesuvius and plunging the cities into darkness, with people in Herculaneum fleeing towards Naples and people in Pompeii struggling to escape as the pumice piles up and blocks their path.

17:51 People in Pompeii faced the difficult decision of whether to risk being stranded on the road or hit by falling rocks, hide in their cellars and risk collapse, or try to escape by sea, while Pliny attempted to conduct a full-scale evacuation but was unable to enter the harbor due to the thick pumice, ultimately becoming stranded in Stabii.

21:38 Pliny and his fellow guests in Stabii witness fire and lightning coming from Vesuvius, and then a pyroclastic surge descends on Herculaneum, overwhelming the entire city in a matter of minutes and leaving it buried beneath ash and rubble.

26:00 Pliny and his companions in Stabiae are trapped in their bedroom by falling pumice and decide to head down to the sea for escape, but are unable to due to the thick pumice in the harbor, leaving them in an apocalyptic scene of falling ash and pumice; meanwhile, Pliny the Younger and his mother in Mycenum initially decide to sit in the courtyard and read a book, but eventually order carts to be loaded and join the mass exodus out of the area.

29:56 As dawn breaks, the pumice in Pompeii starts to subside, revealing streets piled high with pumice and buildings buried beneath it, with the sound of people screaming and begging for help; those who are able to escape their hiding places start making their way over the rubble towards the gates of the town, with different groups of people carrying their belongings and precious treasures, including a woman hugging a tiny statue of Fortuna, the goddess of good luck.

34:10 As people try to escape, the final collapse of the Great Column of Ash buries Pompeii, killing every living creature in its path, with people raising cloth to their mouths for protection and slaves being shackled and fused to their bones by the heat, leaving behind frozen figures of death and a terrifying lesson in mortality and vulnerability, as described by Pliny the Younger who witnessed the collapse from a distance.

38:26 The eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD had a profound effect on the Romans, leading to a belief that the gods were angry and needed to be appeased, as evidenced by the actions of Titus and Domitian, and despite the ongoing danger, the Bay of Naples remains populated due to the fertility and productivity of the region.