Pliny's letters offer an account of the events that occurred during the 79AD eruption of Mount Vesuvius. Also, he gives insight into the reaction of the community around him. At the time of the eruption, science of this nature had only begun to be explored and many natural occurrences were said to be the will and wrath of the gods. |
"he perished in a devastation of the loveliest of lands" |
Pliny the Younger mentions the prosperity of the land. Which is supported by the fact the land surrounding the mountain is rich in volcanic soil and minerals, making Pompeii and Herculaneum excellent places of settlement-both towns are also close to sources of water. It also shows that Pliny the Younger is saddened by the death of his uncle-in fact, Pliny writes to Tacitus in order to keep the memory of his uncle alive. |
Remember that Pliny the Younger wants to glorify the death of his uncle so in this passage it describes that Pliny the Elder was a brave man and even in the face of danger and uncertainty, seemed unafraid. "That evil cloud" refers to the cloud of ash that erupted out of Mount Vesuvius in the early stages of the eruption-bringing with it the destruction that ended the lives of a vast unknown amount-including his uncle. |
"Was he afraid? it seems not, as he kept up a continuous observations of the various movements and shapes of that evil cloud" |
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"The mind shudders to remember the...but here is the tale"
-Pliny letter 6.20
"When daylight came again two days after he died, his body was found untouched, unharmed ...he looked more asleep than dead" |
This passage tells of the death of his uncle, how his dead resembled that of sleep. The gases-including sulfur dioxide-that Pliny the Elder inhaled, mix with the contents of the lung to create sulfuric acid, sulfur trioxide and in turn create a cement in the lungs. The cause of Pliny the Elder's death was suffocation. it didn't seem that he was harmed-on the outside-and it appeared as if he were sleeping. |
The significance of these quotes in Pliny's letters gives us deeper understanding of the impact that this event had on people's lives. Tens of thousands of people had died-almost anyone would know someone that had perished in the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius. The eruption effectively changed or ended so many lives-much like a natural disaster today.