How the inhabitants of Pompeii escaped the eruption of Vesuvius and began a new life

In August 79 AD, Mount Vesuvius erupted, which wiped out the ancient Roman cities of Pompeii, Herculaneum, Stabiae and Oplontis. A huge amount of ash and stones were thrown into the air, destroying thousands of lives. Excavations at the site of the Vesuvius eruption began in 1740, and since then scientists have learned a lot of interesting things about this disaster and its victims. Previously, it was believed that the eruption did not leave people with a single chance of survival. However, judging by the results of new research, some people still managed to survive. Recently, scientists studied ancient documents and found evidence that the surviving people settled in nearby cities and even achieved significant success in their new places of residence.

How the inhabitants of Pompeii escaped the eruption of Vesuvius and started a new life. According to the results of a new study, some residents of Pompeii and Herculaneum managed to survive the eruption of Vesuvius. Photo.

Some Pompeii and Herculaneum residents survived the eruption of Vesuvius, new study finds

Aftermath of the Vesuvius eruption

The cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum, destroyed by the volcano Vesuvius, were very developed places located on the coast of Italy. It is believed that around 30,000 people lived in Pompeii and the city had a thriving industry. The population of Herculaneum was approximately 5,000 people, and many fishermen lived there. Thanks to the development of fishing and the presence of marble workshops, the city of Herculaneum provided wealth to the mansions of the rich people of Ancient Rome.

Consequences of the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. Ruins of the city of Pompeii. Source: expertitaly.ru. Photo.

Ruins of the city of Pompeii. Source: expertitaly.ru

In literature and cinema, the eruption of Vesuvius is shown as an apocalyptic event. The disaster is shown as if no one was left alive after it. There were indeed many victims – some people literally turned to ashes. But there is plenty of evidence that some residents of the affected cities managed to survive. For example, carts and horses disappeared from some stables, and safes were emptied of valuables. In addition, the eruption lasted 18 hours, and some people actually had a chance of salvation.

Read also:5 of the most dangerous volcanoes threatening humanity

Survivors after the eruption of Vesuvius

According to Live Science, scientists tried to find information about the surviving inhabitants of Pompeii and Herculaneum in ancient Roman documents. They were looking for data on people with names unique to these cities: these included Numerius, Aulus, and so on. Surprisingly, the search bore fruit – judging by the documents, after the eruption of Vesuvius, people with unusual names actually settled in nearby cities. In total, scientists managed to find information about 200 survivors; they settled in 12 different cities of the Roman Empire.

Some survivors, after moving to new places, were able to get rich. For example, a certain Caltilius family ended up in the city of Ostia, located north of Pompeii. There she built a temple to the god of abundance Serapis, and then became related to another family of fugitives – the Munatius. Together they created an even richer and more prosperous family.

Survivors of the eruption of Vesuvius. Some residents of Pompeii and Herculaneum lived well even after the disaster. Source: wikimedia.org. Photo.

Some residents of Pompeii and Herculaneum lived well even after the disaster. Source: wikimedia.org

Some survivors settled in the port city of Pozzuoli. The family of a man named Aulus Umbricius was not poor because he was a famous merchant of fish sauce (garum). After the move, he resumed his business, and the first-born Puteolan was born into his family.

But some survivors were not so lucky. For example, a certain Fabia Secundina in her homeland was the daughter of a wealthy wine merchant. After being rescued, she also ended up in Pozzuoli and married a gladiator. Her husband died at the age of 25, leaving his wife in a very poor financial situation.

Survivors of the eruption of Vesuvius. Unfortunately, it was rare that gladiators lived to old age. Source: klike.net. Photo.

Unfortunately, rarely did any gladiators live to old age. Source: klike.net

There are dozens of such stories, but in general, not a single person who survived the disaster was an outcast – in other cities they were clearly received with respect and compassion. According to documents, the Roman emperors allocated a lot of money to rebuild damaged cities and provided refugees with housing. Some survivors, even if they were poor, took orphaned children into their family.

In general, the fact that some residents of Pompeii and Herculaneum managed to survive sounds logical. After all, some of them could be far from home, or even on ships. In addition, they could well have been a little further from the scene of the disaster, sitting on horses and carts.

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Scientists carefully study the destroyed cities, and today Pompeii is a huge open-air museum. Thousands of people visit it, and even take souvenirs with them. But over time, many pebbles come back because they are considered cursed.


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