Pompeii Will Be The Next Stop On Our Tour

The most memorable volcanic eruption in the history of civilization began about noon on 24 August 79 A.D. The mountain of Vesuvius awakened with unimaginable force 17 1/2 years after the devastating earthquake of 62 A.D. There had been no real warning of the explosion, though wells suddenly went dry 10 days earlier and the cows grazing on the slopes of Vesuvius were behaving strangely.


On August 23, 79 AD, Pompeii looked like any other busy, prosperous city. People were moving about, trading goods, news, and friendly talk. Three days later, on August 26, all of these sounds had fallen silent, and the place itself had vanished. Almost nothing was seen of Pompeii for more than 1500 years. (Click here for a timeline of events in Pompeii) Now, more than 1900 years later, we are learning more and more about the last days of Pompeii. What happened to Pompeii preserved a treasury of information about life in the ancient Roman Empire.