Today in History

August 24, 79
Buried Treasures
Mount Vesuvius erupts, burying the ancient Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum beneath 30 meters of ash. Roman traveler Pliny the Younger writes to the historian Tacitus about the fiery explosion, saying "We saw the sea sucked away and forced back by the earthquake... On the landward side a fearful black cloud parted to reveal great tongues of fire, like flashes of lightning magnified in size." Excavations begin in 1748, revealing well preserved houses, shrines and inscriptions that provide key evidece of Roman culture and city planning.



Today's Feature History Article

Resurrecting Pompeii

A new exhibition brings the doomed residents of Pompeii and Herculaneum vividly to life




 



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