Vesuvius: A Biography

356 Pages·2009·21.886 MB·English

by  Alwyn Scarth

VesuviusBook.book Page i Tuesday, October 7, 2008 3:39 PM
Vesuvius
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VesuviusBook.book Page iii Tuesday, October 7, 2008 3:39 PM
Vesuvius
A biography
Alwyn Scarth
T E R RA
Copyright © Alwyn Scarth 2009
Requests for permission to reproduce material from this work should be sent
to Permissions, Princeton University Press
All Rights reserved
Published in 2009 in the United States, Canada, and the Philippine Islands by
Princeton University Press, 41 William Street, Princeton, New Jersey 08540
Originating publisher: Terra Publishing. Published by Terra Publishing in the
UK and the Republic of Ireland
ISBN: 978-0-691-14390-3
Library of Congress Control Number 2009925151
press.princeton.edu
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Contents
Preface viii
Acknowledgements x
1 Introduction 1
Ancient settlements; Foreign rule; Authority questioned; Further reading
2 Campanian volcanoes: in the beginning 11
Campania; The Campi Flegrei volcanic field; The growth of Somma–
Vesuvius; The eruptions of Somma–Vesuvius before 1631; Further reading
3 The Avellino eruption: a prelude to Pompeii 29
Two skeletons from the early Bronze Age; An early Bronze Age village;
Calm after the Avellino eruption; Somma–Vesuvius just before AD 79; Fur-
ther reading
4 The eruption in AD 79: the day of wrath 39
Roman Campania; The Roman Empire in AD 79; The Pliny family; The
two letters of Pliny the Younger; Damaging earthquakes; Pompeii; Hercu-
laneum; The southern flanks of Vesuvius: 24 August AD 79, morning;
Misenum: 24 August AD 79, noon; Rectina asks for help; Enquiry and
rescue: 24 August, afternoon; Pompeii: 24 August, afternoon and evening;
Stabiae: 24 August, evening; Herculaneum: 24–25 August; Oplontis: 25
August; Pompeii: 24–25 August: the day of wrath; Stabiae: 25 August, dawn;
Misenum: 24–25 August; Victims of the eruption; Aftermath; Aid; Further
reading
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CONTENTS
5 From antiquity to the Renaissance: tall stories 87
Limitation of sources; Eruptions from AD 79 until 685; More persistent activ-
ity, c. AD 787–1139; Dormant Vesuvius; Further reading
6 The eruption of Monte Nuovo: a new approach 115
An intellectual change; Spanish rule; Pozzuoli and Tripergole; Warnings of
an eruption; The eruption begins: Sunday 29 September 1538; The effects
of the eruption on Pozzuoli; A calm interlude: Tuesday 1 October to Thurs-
day 3 October; Thursday afternoon, 3 October; Marchesino explores: Friday
4 October; Sunday 6 October; The aftermath; Further reading
7 The eruption in 1631: the Counter Reformation 135
The wages of sin; Vesuvius in 1631; Real, unrecognized and imaginary
warnings from Vesuvius; The eruption begins: Tuesday 16 December; Exo-
dus; The viceroy acts: 16 December; Flight from Torre del Greco; The first
religious procession, Tuesday, 16 December; A drumroll; The night of 16–
17 December; Pyroclastic flows: Wednesday 17 December; The pyroclastic
flows reach Torre del Greco; Tsunamis; The procession on Wednesday 17
December; The processions on Thursday 18 December; The floods at Nola:
Thursday 18 December; Rescue and recovery?; Friday 19 December; The
waning phases of the eruption; Refugees and sinners; Results of the erup-
tion; Future generations; Further reading
8 The old cities rediscovered: antiquity protected 173
Old stones come to light; Excavations begin; Excavations at Pompeii; The
role of Giuseppe Fiorelli; Further reading
9 Hamilton and Vesuvius: volcano-watching 185
Questions of pedigree; The envoy in Naples; Trespassing on Vesuvian ter-
ritory; The eruption of 1766; The eruption of October 1767; The volcanoes
of the Campi Flegrei and Etna; Campi Phlegraei; The eruption of 1779; The
eruption of June 1794; Enter Nelson; Hamilton as a volcanologist; Further
reading
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CONTENTS
10 Vesuvius as a tourist attraction: the Grand Tour 227
Picturesque, sublime and classical; The view of Vesuvius from Naples; The
trip to the foot of Vesuvius; Old lavas; Molten lavas; The cone and its crater;
Descent; Further reading
11 Persistent activity 1822–1944: scientific scrutiny 245
The eruption of 1822; The eruption of 1872; Agitation 1875–1906; The
eruption of 1906; The eruption of 1944; Further reading
12 The Campi Flegrei: an eruption that failed 279
La Solfatara; Bradyseismic movements; Planning for the next eruption; Fur-
ther reading
13 The future: the eruption to be avoided 289
The past is the key to the future; Warning signs; When will Vesuvius erupt
again?; What will be erupted?; The contingency plan for Vesuvius; Com-
munications and public awareness; The special problems of Campania; Some
counter-suggestions; Relocation; Further reading
Appendix 1 311
The two letters of Pliny the Younger to Tacitus about the eruption of AD 79
Appendix 2 316
Cassiodorus: Variae Epistolae, letter 50
Glossary 318
Bibliography 321
Index 333
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Preface
Vesuvius is the most famous and one of the most violent volcanoes in the
world, and Naples and the province of Campania around it have the repu-
tation of housing the most impassioned population in Europe. This biography
of Vesuvius evokes the intimate relationship between the volcano and peo-
ple, which has been recorded in unrivalled detail for more than two thousand
years. The Campanians have never been able to remember with serenity, nor
to forget with impunity, that they live in a volcanic land that has witnessed
some of Europe’s most powerful and lethal eruptions.
The story of Vesuvius fascinates by its rich geological or geographical his-
tory, which has been told by Earth scientists who have often been among the
world’s greatest experts on volcanic behaviour. But the Earth sciences are
only part of the story. The other side of the narrative recounts the changing
social, religious, and intellectual impact that the volcano has always had upon
the population. Many vivid and fascinating eye-witness accounts have fol-
lowed Pliny the Younger’s description of the eruption in AD 79 and, ever
since, religious beliefs, prejudice, education and fear have stimulated a whole
range of human reactions to every volcanic crisis and the devastation and
mourning that ensued. This study is based on the latest academic research,
but also on a prudent appraisal of contemporary accounts and, wherever pos-
sible, I have based the story on eye-witness descriptions by the participants.
But they have also to be examined with critical care to discover the grains
of truth among the chaff of fantasy and inaccuracies that have distorted many
older versions of the Vesuvian story.
Until very recently, volcanic eruptions came as bolts from the blue. Now,
however, scientific experts are fast developing techniques for predicting the
behaviour of volcanoes. Vesuvius is well worth the closest scrutiny, because
it may be approaching its most violent outburst since 1631. Yet, one of the
major current environmental and social problems in Campania is to con-
vince the population that the next eruption really will put them in the gravest
danger. Indeed, Vesuvius is not the only volcanic threat in the district. In the
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