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PLINY THE ELDER’S RESCUE MISSION TO POMPEII
This ancient villa that hosted a vineyard, probably of wine grapes, for which Pompeii was renowned.
Pliny was a Roman statesman, natural‐ Sixteen years earlier Pompeii had been
ist, author, and admiral of the fleet based struck by a fierce earthquake that caused
at Misenum, the last of which was a rather considerable damage and killed quite a few
important job. He was curious about this people. That event prompted many people
phenomenon and decided to go and get a to leave for good, but no one at that time
better look. As he was preparing to depart related earthquakes and volcanic erup‐
he received a note from a friend in Pompeii tions.
saying that many people were trapped and Pliny, however, thought deeply about
desperate to get out, and the sea offered such things. In his roles as a military leader
the best escape route. So Pliny mobilized a and aide to the emperor, Pliny had traveled
collection of galleys and set off across the extensively and, as a compulsive note
bay. taker, he had catalogued thousands of ob‐
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