{"id":5799,"date":"2024-09-07T08:32:20","date_gmt":"2024-09-07T06:32:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/seepompeii.com\/in-quale-data-pompei-fu-distrutta-dalleruzione-del-vesuvio\/"},"modified":"2024-09-07T08:44:56","modified_gmt":"2024-09-07T06:44:56","slug":"when-was-pompeii-destroyed-by-the-eruption-of-mount-vesuvius","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/seepompeii.com\/en\/when-was-pompeii-destroyed-by-the-eruption-of-mount-vesuvius\/","title":{"rendered":"When was Pompeii destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

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

August 24? October 24? October 17? But what is the exact date of the eruption of Vesuvius that destroyed Pompeii, <\/strong><\/a>Herculaneum, Oplonti and Stabia?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For centuries, it was believed that the date of the eruption of Vesuvius that destroyed Pompeii coincided with August 24, 79 AD.<\/strong> But new archaeological discoveries and scientific analysis have called this date into question, suggesting that the catastrophic event may have occurred at a later time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

But where does this date of August 24, 79 AD, emerge from?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

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

The dating of the catastrophe was based primarily on a manuscript by Pliny the Younger<\/strong>, who described the eruption in two letters sent to his friend Tacitus.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The manuscript states that the volcano erupted \u201c 9 days before the Kalends of September\u201d<\/strong> (this is how ancient Pompeians designated the days), which corresponds to August 24.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In fact recent discoveries have totally challenged this assumption. Endorsing the thesis that the date of the eruption had been transcribed erroneously by the copyists who had translated Pliny’s texts over the centuries. Texts that in the same letter also give different dates, reinforcing the hypothesis that the date was wrong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In fact, the finding of typically autumn fruits (such as pomegranates, chestnuts, grapes), braziers lit during the eruption, and heavy clothing<\/strong>. It suggested that it was very unlikely that the eruption could have occurred during the summer period. But that it occurred at a time after the harvest was completed. Indeed, the finding of amphorae containing must also confirmed that wine production had already taken place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even in the case of an early harvest, the days between harvest, crushing and first fermentation allow the date to be moved forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But not only that, the finding of a coin testifying to the election of Titus as emperor that occurred between September 7 and 8 o<\/strong>f that year also suggest that the eruption occurred in the fall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thus, with some confidence it could be said that the date of August 24 reported to date is incorrect<\/strong>. And that the text of Pliny the younger has been transcribed incorrectly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most likely the event occurred in the fall, perhaps on October 24 of that year.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n