4 Panic under Vesuvius

CHAPTER IV Panic under Vesuvius At six o'clock in the evening, Pliny arrived at the house of his old friend Pomponianus. This was a good place to rest before sailing on to help Rectina and any others to escape. As he settled down for a good night's sleep, the foundations of the house shook badly. Outside, pumice stones fell on the heads of anyone who dared step out for a better look. "Don't panic," Pliny reassured Pomponianus. "If you must go outside, tie a pillow on your head with a napkin."

"Are you sure we shouldn't go and get Rectina right away?" asked his friend uncertainly, as he watched the leaping flames of fire light up the night sky at several points on Mount Vesuvius. The day was drawing to a close, but none of the heat had waned. "I need to rest first," explained Pliny, as he shut his bedroom door. Pomponianus turned away from the door and bit his lip anxiously, wondering whether or not to risk running out to give the pigs a last feed for the day.

Neither of them knew how much panic was brewing among the 20,000 people who lived in the city, only a few miles away. As midnight approached, people poured through the gates of Pompeii. The heat was appalling and people wandered around with cuts and bruises on their faces from the falling pumice stones. Ash lay like a soft carpet over everything. It was difficult to do anything without becoming smeared in black soot. Cracks were appearing in the corners of buildings as the ground shook. Run, run, as fast as you can...

At the Herculaneum Gate, a woman stood with her baby in her arms and her two small girls clinging onto the skirts of her toga. Her cries went unanswered. Help me, someone! Has anyone seen my husband? The children cried as the woman's eyes desperately searched the hordes of people for her husband. They had become separated in the crowd. Did she dare wait for him any longer?

Or should she rush on to the Bay of Naples with their children, hoping that someone would find space for four extra passengers on a boat away from the city? At the Nucerian Gate, a beggar carrying a sack called out desperately for help. His limp meant he would never be able to walk quickly enough to make a decent escape if Vesuvius erupted. And Vesuvius looked angry. Won't anyone take pity on me? I can't escape on my own!

Some people didn't have any possibility of escape- it was their duty to stay put. In the gladiators' barracks, 60 gladiators tried to settle down to sleep. But it was difficult in the heat and the noise. One of them. Actius Anicetus, lay on his back in his bed and held out a hand in front of his face. He watched his fingers tremble and wondered if he'd ever see dawn break. Gladiators shouldn't feel scared. He'd fought in the amphitheatre, hadn't he? But he had to be brave.