g
suffocated by sulphureous vapors. His nephew, the younger Pliny,
remained at Misenum, and has given us, in his Letters, a lively
description of the awful scene. A dense column of vapor was first seen
rising vertically from Vesuvius, and then spreading itself out
laterally, so that its upper portion resembled the head, and its lower
the trunk of the pine, which characterizes the Italian landscape. This
black cloud was pierced occasionally by flashes of fire, as vivid as
lightning, succeeded by darkness more profound than night. Ashes fell
even upon the ships at Misenum, and caused a shoal in one part of the
sea--the ground rocked, and the sea receded from the shores, so that
many marine animals were seen on the dry sand. The appearances above
described agree perfectly with those witnessed in more recent eruptions,
especially those of Monte Nuovo, in 1538, and of Vesuvius in 1822.

The younger Pliny, although giving a circumstantial detail of so many
physical facts, and describing the eruption and earthquake, and the
shower of ashes which fell at Stabiae, makes no allusion to the sudden
overwhelming of two large and populous cities, Herculaneum and Pompeii.
In explanation of this omission, it has been suggested that his chief
object was simply to give Tacitus a full account of the particulars of
his uncle's death. It is worthy, however, of remark, that had the buried
cities never been discovered, the accounts transmitted to us of their
tragical end might well have been discredited by the majority, so vague
and general are the narratives, or so long subsequent to the event.
Tacitus, the friend and contemporary of Pliny, when adverting in general
terms to the convulsions, says merely that "cities were consumed or
buried."[496]

Suetonius, although he alludes to the eruption incidentally, is silent
as to the cities. They are mentioned by Martial, in an epigram, as
immersed in cinders; but the first historian who alludes to them by name
is Dion Cassius,[497] who flourished about a century and a half after
Pliny. He appears to have derived his information from the traditions of
the inhabitants, and to have recorded, without discrimination, all the
facts and fables which he could collect. He tells us, "that during the
eruption a multitude of men of superhuman stature, resembling giants,
appeared, sometimes on the mountain, and sometimes in the environs--that
stones and smoke were thrown out, the sun was hidden, and then the