24th, AD
79 started like every normal day. The streets were full of activity. People
were going to and from their destinations.
Then
suddenly, around one o’clock in the afternoon, they saw smoke coming out of
Mount Vesuvius. At first, they were shocked to see this, but knew they did not
have time to stand and stare. Some people went home to collect valuable things
they had left behind. Others tried to leave town immediately, but they didn’t know
where to go. In the middle of all this, stones and rocks began to pour into the
city, and heavy, black smoke filled the air.
The
thick, black cloud from the volcano made it so dark that people couldn’t see
where they were going. They were trying to run away, but it was very difficult.
They were having problems breathing because of the smoky air; the stones and
rocks were
falling
down more heavily, and the buildings were shaking violently, but still they
ran. Some victims didn’t run away and stayed in the city, trying to hide from
the eruption inside their homes.
The
people who hadn’t run away were trapped inside their houses because the stones
and ash were blocking doors and windows, suffocating the people inside. Others
lost their lives as buildings fell down. Others were trapped in the higher
floors of buildings where they had found shelter. At sunset, when the volcano
calmed down, the survivors who had hidden in their homes came out and were
searching for a way to escape.
As the
sun was going down, they walked through the destroyed city. They were carrying
lamps to light the way to the edge of Pompeii. But unfortunately their journey
was pointless. At dawn, the volcano erupted again and killed those who were
trying to get out of the city. That morning, at about 7.30 am, the final
eruption completely buried Pompeii. Death came to any survivors who were
walking in the streets or had hidden on the top floors of buildings or
underground. At 8 am, a volcanic river destroyed the highest walls of the
buildings and carried away the bodies of the victims.
For the
next 1,500 years, the city was undisturbed because people had completely
forgotten about it. But then the architect Domenico Fontana decided to build
there in the late 16th century. While he was checking out the area,
he found a city that had been frozen in time. It was truly amazing! Today, a
visit to Pompeii is a step into the past. When you walk there, you are walking
in the city as it was nearly 2,000 years ago.
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