, Italy: Pompeii and Paestum

Pompeii - City Destroyed by Volcanic Eruption
(near Naples, Italy)

In one day, the city of Pompeii was taken off-guard as nearby Mount Vesuvius erupted and covered the city with several meters of volcanic ash and eruptive material. All the people who were in Pompeii on that day were killed.

Vesuvius, releasing steam; 1944 AD. This is not nearly the catasrophic eruption that occured on August 24th, 79. That was when Vesuvius blew its top! The result was many thousands of cubic meters of volcanic ash coverering the entire city of Pompeii, smothering all its citizens!

Vesuvius Erupting in 1944
The eruption of this volcano brought a sudden and complete end to the city of Pompeii. Pliny the Younger (AD 61-113), in a letter to his friend, Tacitus, described the grief he experienced at the tragic loss of his Uncle, Pliny the Elder, who, along with a multitude of residents of Pompeii, was killed. (Pliny the Younger was 18 years old at the time.)  Pliny's Letter to Tacitus

Aerial view of Vesuvius' crater as it is today

The source of the massive eruption that buried Pompeii.
On the left is one hiking path and observation shack.
Another path is on the right.

 

Street scene of the now excavated Pompeii as it is today.
Mount Vesuvius is seen in the background

Clicking the image will link to my page on Pompeii

This photo and overlay by RomaGift.com

Paestum - Ancient Greek Colony in Southern Italy

Originally named Poseidonia after one of their most important gods, this site on the Gulf of Salerno in Southern Italy was colonized by Greeks, probably Dorians from the city of Sybaris who had been expelled from there. Primarily, there are three temples...

 
I have not developed a page to link to for Paestum as of this time.

 

- Last updated November 26th, 2004. -

 

My visit to these sites,

  • Mount Vesuvius and Pompeii: January 1st, 2003.
  • Paestum: January 8th, 2003
...was made possible by the US Navy Reserves.

 

 

(time passes..)

You are visitor number

Since November 11, 2002. Or, since last system crash.

My email: jgdion@hotmail.com

 

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