Thread by @pompei79

Annual reminder that although it is claimed, this probably *wasn’t* the day that Vesuvius erupted in AD 79 burying the landscape in volcanic debris and covering the Roman cities of #Pompeii and Herculaneum as well as rural villas in the area.

According to letters Pliny the Younger wrote to Tacitus, detailing his eye-witness account of the AD 79 eruption, it happened on August 24th.
Except that it probably didn’t. We only have transcribed copies of these letters & so there’s a chance the date was copied down wrong.

The most persuasive archaeological evidence we have from the cities that Vesuvius buried to indicate the eruption may have been later in the year, are ripe pomegranates. These generally ripen & are harvested in autumn not August. The eruption date is probably in Sept or Oct.

Although a coin was found in excavations that was thought to date the eruption to at least after September 8th AD79, there’s contention as to correct reading/identification of the coin & it’s likely that coin was minted before 24th August.
Detailed thread:

https://twitter.com/pompei79/status/914140816364507136?s=21

There's a very nice comprehensive blog about all the existing evidence for the eruption date by @PeterGainsford here kiwihellenist.blogspot.com/2017/08/volcan… with a lovely caveat about the misinterpreted coin.

It is known, however, that on this day in 1943 the first Allied bombs were dropped on #Pompeii during World War 2; a subject I have touched on here:

https://twitter.com/pompei79/status/900648832798797824?s=21

Apologies, the link to @PeterGainsford’s blog in the previous tweet is dead. This link works: kiwihellenist.blogspot.com/2017/08/volcan…