THE CITIES OF VESUVIUS – STEPHEN KERSHAW

In 79 CE, an enormous eruption of Mount Vesuvius both destroyed and preserved the vibrant Roman towns of Pompeii and Herculaneum.  The circumstances of their preservation and the sheer extent of the archaeological sites, not only provides us with invaluable information about Roman social, economic, religious and political life across every stratum of society, but also allows us to see at first hand some of antiquity’s finest art and architecture.  Illustrated with slides, video, ancient texts and graffiti, this talk will present a wide range of fascinating, beautiful and moving insights into Roman life in the 1st century CE.