Pliny's Escape Route

When refugees of Campania left Pompeii many of them fled to the ocean, not realizing that it, too, would be affected by the tremors of the erupting Vesuvius. Still, this route proved worthy and some people escaped death. One of those people is a young man name Pliny the Younger. Today we might call him Pliny, Jr.

Pliny lived in Pompeii with his family. When Vesuvius began its hostile action, Pliny the Younger and his mother decided to leave. Piny's uncle, Pliny the Elder, decided to stay in Pompeii.

This map shows how Pliny, Jr. and his mother escaped. His uncle, Pliny the Elder, was commander of a fleet of war ships at Misenum (see map). He decided to use his ships to rescue people close to the volcano.

Pliny the Younger did a thorough job of telling the details of their escape. To read more about this story, visit Mount Vesuvius.