Chapter · Italy · Land
The finest corner of the world
A coast described in AD 77, and what lay under it
Around AD 77 a Roman encyclopaedia describes Italy and sets Vesuvius between a town and a river, as what can be seen from Pompeii. Its author dies two years later in the eruption, and his nephew tells it.
Context first
A lesson to read before the others, to set the scene.
- The place
- The era
- The people
The lessons in this chapter
- 1What no man could enumerateBefore describing Italy the author warns that no man living could enumerate it all. He then gives distances, a shape and lists, and it is that part which has crossed nineteen centuries.9 min
- 2Vesuvius at no great distanceA Roman geography cites Pompeii, from which Vesuvius may be seen at no great distance, the way it would cite a neighbouring river. Its author dies two years later in the eruption that buried the town.9 min
- 3An ordinary occurrence in CampaniaThe tremors run for days before the eruption and alarm nobody, because this is an ordinary occurrence in Campania. The warning failed by looking exactly like what the region already knew.9 min
How these lessons are written
Each lesson starts from first-hand sources: Wikisource, Gallica, Persée, archives, museums and institutes. A fact without a source does not get written, and every lesson lists its own as direct links.
The rhythm
A lesson is five minutes of cards and four questions. Those questions then come back the next day, then at 3, 7, 21 and 60 days, and that return is what makes it stick. One a day is enough, and you can do several in a row.