Wine-Dark Sea

When Vesuvius Burned: A Survivor's Story | A Tale from Ancient Rome


Listen Later

In one of the greatest natural disasters of the ancient world, the Bay of Naples in Italy was devastated by the volcanic eruption of Mount Vesuvius, destroying the cities of Pompeii, Herculaneum, Stabiae, and others. In a set of letters to his friend, the historian Tacitus, the Roman writer and politician Pliny the Younger recalls his memories of the eruption in living detail, as an eyewitness and victim of the catastrophe.

A story from Roman history, based on the Letters of Gaius Plinius Caecilius Secundus (Pliny the Younger), letters 6.16 and 6.20, featuring: Pliny the Younger, Pliny the Elder, Plinia Marcella, Cornelius Tacitus

---

FREE COMMENTARY PODCASTS now available for every story on the channel! Learn more about the ancient historical and cultural context behind each Wine-Dark Sea tale. Find the full archive of videos and MP3s at: ⁠https://ko-fi.com/winedarksea/shop⁠

---

CREDITS: Music from www.storyblocks.com

Episode Thumbnail Image: View of Vesuvius Erupting (Pierre-Jacques Volaire, 18th century)

WDS Logo Image: Kylix with Apollo playing the lyre and pouring a libation (c. 470 BC, Delphi Archeological Museum)

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Wine-Dark SeaBy Wine-Dark Sea