Gaius Plinius Secondus, a corpulent man in his mid-fifties, finished his sunbath. He stood, admiring the beautiful Bay of Naples from the terrace of his villa. The islands of Procida and Ischia were clearly visible, and across the bay the Sorrento Peninsula and the isle of Capri shimmered in the sun. Below in the harbor of Misenum was a fleet of quadriremes, mighty warships that required hundreds of freemen to row them into battle. As commander of all naval forces in the western Mediterranean Sea, it was his fleet, the pride of Rome.
A view along the coast of Naples today. Photo courtesy of The Italian Government Tourist Board.
Today, instead of deadly quadriremes, fleets of crewed and bareboat charter yachts frequent the waters of the Bay of Naples, the Amalfi coast, and the Phlegraean and Pontine islands just offshore. These include the world-famous isle of Capri, Procida, Ischia, Ventonene, Ponza, Palmarola, and tiny Santo Stefano, among others. All of these islands are within the fabled Tyrrhenian Sea, a busy place even in Roman times.
Known as Pliny the Elder, Gaius Plinius Secondus had grown wealthy as lawyer, politician, and military leader, but his passion was science. Over the preceding decades he’d penned the 37 volumes of his Naturalis Historia, a work of scientific observations and theories that earned him fame. And his love of science was about to get him killed.
Retreating from the summer heat of August 24, 79 A.D., Pliny went inside his villa, took a cold bath, and ate a large midday meal. He was reading when his sister came to him, clearly agitated, saying there was a strange cloud above the mountains. Pliny’s nephew, Gaius Plinius Caecilius, or Pliny the Younger, later wrote in a letter to Tacitus, a Roman historian: “I can best describe [the cloud] by likening it to a pine tree. It rose into the sky on a very long trunk from which spread some branches. The sight of it made the scientist in my uncle determined to see it from closer at hand.”
There had been severe “earth tremors” in the past few days. Most people paid no attention. But as Pliny the Elder and his family watched the cloud, hot ash and pumice was already falling on the towns of Herculaneum and Pompeii. Pliny the Elder ordered a ship readied, and he asked his nephew if he wanted to come along. Pliny the Younger said he’d rather stay home, which proved to be a wise move. As Pliny the Elder was leaving for the harbor a letter arrived from the wife of a friend. Her villa was at the foot of Mount Vesuvius, and there was no escape other than by sea.
Pliny the Elder dispatched the fleet knowing that “the delightful shore was a populous one,” his nephew later wrote. Based on accounts from survivors Pliny the Younger was able to piece together what happened on that fateful day, and exactly what his uncle said and did. It’s an intriguing document, the only eyewitness account of the disaster at Herculaneum and Pompeii to survive in the historic record.
Pliny the Younger wrote that the ships scudded before a stiff westerly wind, the oarsmen rowing hard, and the sky growing dark. The water in the bay seemed to be “sucked away” and lightning flashed at the invisible summit of Vesuvius. All the while, it was said, Pliny the Elder remained fascinated as he watched the erupting volcano. He dictated his observations to one of the men with him.
“Ash was falling on the ships, darker and denser the closer they went. Now it was bits of pumice, and the rocks that were blackened and burned and shattered by the fire. Now the sea was shoal; debris from the mountain blocks the shore,” Pliny the Younger wrote.
Pliny the Elder considered turning back, but instead set a course for Stabiae, on the east end of the bay. Ashore with friends, Pliny the Elder continued to watch the frightening spectacle. Mount Vesuvius erupted throughout the night and into the next morning. The ash cloud obliterated the sun, making day seem like night. At Stabiae, the pumice stones rained down and ash piled up.
At last realizing that they had better get out of town, Pliny the Elder and those with him rushed to the shore with pillows tied on top of their heads to protect them from the falling stones. Severely overweight, Pliny the Elder was in no shape to run. The gases and dust were thick, making everyone choke. Pliny sat down and when he tried to get up, he died. Those with him ran away.
Herculaneum and Pompeii were buried under tons of ash and stone, entombing many of the residents who died in their homes. Over time, the bones decayed and vanished, leaving casts in the solidified rock shaped exactly like the bodies of the victims. In 1748, the towns were discovered and archaeologists began excavations. They noticed the odd shapes in the stone, and eventually someone got the idea to pour plaster into the voids to see what happened. The voids served as molds and it was as if the corpses of Herculaneum and Pompeii were resurrected, haunting in the detail that was preserved, right down to what the victims were wearing when they died.
The Gulf of Naples on a calm day. Photo courtesy ItalyGuides.it
Today, Pompeii is a major tourist destination, one very popular as a side trip for people chartering yachts in the Bay of Naples. The ancient Roman city stands as a reminder of the power of Nature and walking the streets provides a glimpse into what life was like when Pliny the Elder’s fleet sailed on the Tyrrhenian Sea.
Editor’s Note: David W. Shaw is the author of seven nonfiction books, including a historical account of Flying Cloud, America’s most famous clipper ship. To find charter boats in the area, view the Mediterranean listings. For more photos, visit Italy Guides and the Italian Government Tourist Board.
Aprés–sail, relax on any of three levels. The flybridge is so large that all twelve guests can sit, eat and talk in the sun or shade, surrounded by gleaming mast machinery. For sport, imagine big game fishing from two fighting chairs. A large swimming platform descends from the main deck with easy access into the water or onto the jet tenders. The most spectacular views are from the bow seat or a crow’s nest ‘lift’ that ascends 40 metres (131 ft) up the 60-metre main mast. Dining can take place in the shaded, sunken aft cockpit, where the crew magically transform the scene from informal breakfast through buffet lunch to a sumptuous dinner.
The master suite is an astonishing 12.5 metres (41 ft) wide. Cherry panelling with inset night lighting, a king size bed facing a retractable large plasma screen, a sitting room (with a fold out treadmill) and white marble bathroom, complete this calm, quiet, retreat.
