{"id":3961,"date":"2023-08-04T09:18:40","date_gmt":"2023-08-04T07:18:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/seepompeii.com\/perche-i-pompeiani-non-scapparono-durante-leruzione-del-79-d-c\/"},"modified":"2026-03-24T12:24:03","modified_gmt":"2026-03-24T11:24:03","slug":"why-pompeians-did-not-flee-during-the-eruption-of-79-ad","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/seepompeii.com\/en\/why-pompeians-did-not-flee-during-the-eruption-of-79-ad\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Pompeians did not flee during the eruption of 79 AD"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was August 24, 79 AD (or probably October 24,<\/strong> according to recent archaeological discoveries), when Pompeii was destroyed in just a few days by the terrible eruption of Vesuvius.

A violent, catastrophic, and unexpected eruption that left thousands of Pompeians dead, buried along with their city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Discover the history of Pompeii with an expert guide<\/strong><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

It was around 1 p.m. when the plug obstructing Vesuvius’ crater leaked out; within hours a cloud filled with ash and gas over 20 meters high rose to the sky.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lapilli began to invade the streets and houses of Pompeii. Roofs began to collapse under the weight of the lapilli, overwhelming many Pompeians who had taken refuge in their homes in the hope that it would all end soon, but they died crushed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Others, however, died of suffocation and asphyxiation overwhelmed by the powerful pyroclastic flow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pompeii remained submerged for centuries by more than 3 meters of volcanic material and was not found until several years later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The eruption recounted in a letter by Pliny the Younger<\/strong>, accurately describes the moments of the explosion. But the question many are asking is why didn’t Pompeiians flee before Vesuvius erupted?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are several reasons for this behavior, including lack of awareness of the danger, reliance on the protection of the gods, and lack of means to escape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"The
Casts of Pompeii<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Temple
Temple of Jupiter<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Pompeians did not understand what was happening<\/mark><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First, it must be said that the Pompeians were probably unaware of the danger they were facing. For them, Vesuvius was not a volcano, but a friendly mountain, rich in vegetation that gave them food and the necessities of life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although Vesuvius had had a few minor eruptions in previous years, an eruption of such magnitude had not occurred for centuries. So the Pompeians were not prepared for what was happening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even the earthquakes that had occurred in previous years had not been interpreted by them as signs of an impending eruption, and this led people not to flee initially.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They believed in the power of the gods<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Second, Pompeians had a strong belief in their gods and their protective power. The city was famous for its worship of Jupiter, who was said to protect Pompeii from natural disasters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition, there was a strong belief that their deceased ancestors would protect the city from the realm of the dead. This belief was so deeply rooted that many Pompeians probably believed that it was impossible for the gods to allow the city to be destroyed.<\/p>\n\n\n