Pompeii's Final Hours: New Evidence

Series 1 - Episode 2

Review

by Alison Graham

Pompeii was a busy place in the days leading up to the cataclysmic eruption of Mount Vesuvius, though there’s evidence in the ruins that the city suffered cracks and ruptures due to earth tremors.

The water supply was disrupted as the earthquake fractured pipes just before the main event, so to speak. But life continued as normal, with the prosperous in Pompeii’s population enjoying some leisure time in its bath houses.

In a sequence that will burn itself onto your retinas, in the interests of historical representation, presenter John Sergeant strips to his pants and is anointed with oils in a treatment room. Just like a Roman.

Summary

Bettany Hughes, John Sergeant and Raksha Dave investigate what happened on the eve of the eruption, with John diving under the streets of Naples to find the extraordinary remains of one of the wonders of the ancient world - the Aqua Augusta. Raksha also climbs into the crater of Vesuvius to uncover what could have been happening inside the volcano in the fateful moments before the eruption.