We’re still learnÂing what hapÂpened in PomÂpeii in 79 AD. In the broad sense, of course, we know exactÂly what hapÂpened: the volÂcano Mount VesuÂvius eruptÂed, overÂwhelmÂing the city (as well as HerÂcuÂlaÂneum) with heat and entombÂing it in ash. But what exactÂly was going on in PomÂpeiÂi’s last days? Absent the powÂer of time travÂel, we can nevÂer know for sure. But the disÂasÂter that endÂed the life of PomÂpeii also preÂserved that life more or less as it was, resultÂing in a harÂrowÂing snapÂshot made of ruins and remains uncomÂmonÂly intact by the stanÂdards of ancient Rome. It is to Mount VesuÂvius that we thus owe a good deal of our knowlÂedge about the texÂture of everyÂday life in the Roman Empire.
HisÂtoÂry YoutuÂber GarÂrett Ryan explains all this in a new three-part minisÂeries, which conÂsists of the videos “The Last MornÂing in PomÂpeii,” “The Night PomÂpeii Died,” and “The VicÂtims of VesuÂvius.” We’ve preÂviÂousÂly feaÂtured Ryan’s chanÂnel Told in Stone here on Open CulÂture for its episodes on subÂjects like ancient Roman aqueÂducts and ancient Roman drugs.
Here, he uses his forÂmiÂdaÂble all-around knowlÂedge of ancient Roman life to paint a verÂbal picÂture of how averÂage PomÂpeiÂians might have lived out their final day in the city. DurÂing its course, what in the mornÂing would have felt like nothÂing more than odd rumÂblings would — in accorÂdance with the archeÂtypÂal tale of disÂasÂter — turn into an inferÂno by nightÂfall.
As in his othÂer videos, Ryan shows as much conÂcern with what we know as how we know it. In the case of PomÂpeii and HerÂcuÂlaÂneum, the hisÂtorÂiÂcal eviÂdence includes no fewÂer than 1,500 recovÂered bodÂies, with hunÂdreds or even thouÂsands still buried. The vividÂness of the image conÂstiÂtutÂed by these citÂiÂzens and their surÂroundÂings — a vividÂness enhanced by the pracÂtice of makÂing realÂisÂtic plasÂter casts from their impresÂsions in the ash — would lead any visÂiÂtor at the ruins to imagÂine for himÂself stoÂries of the lives of PomÂpeiÂians. So it seems to have gone with Ryan, who after gazÂing into VesuÂvius’ crater beheld the sprawl of modÂern-day Naples, which has “crept up to the very foot of the volÂcano, awaitÂing the next erupÂtion.” The underÂlyÂing stoÂry, told in geoÂlogÂiÂcal time, is still nowhere near its end.
RelatÂed conÂtent:
PomÂpeii Rebuilt: A Tour of the Ancient City Before It Was Entombed by Mount VesuÂvius
ArchaeÂolÂoÂgists DisÂcovÂer an Ancient Roman Snack Bar in the Ruins of PomÂpeii
A Drone’s Eye View of the Ruins of PomÂpeii
Based in Seoul, ColÂin MarÂshall writes and broadÂcasts on cities, lanÂguage, and culÂture. His projects include the SubÂstack newsletÂter Books on Cities, the book The StateÂless City: a Walk through 21st-CenÂtuÂry Los AngeÂles and the video series The City in CinÂeÂma. FolÂlow him on TwitÂter at @colinmarshall, on FaceÂbook, or on InstaÂgram.