
About this episode
The episode explores the final moments of Pompeii before and during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD.
In 79 AD, life in Pompeii unfolded beneath the shadow of a tremoring Mount Vesuvius. Streets bustled, businesses thrived, and merchants built fortunes, unaware disaster was hours away. But what happened when that disaster struck? How did these ordinary Roman citizens seek to survive last days of Pompeii? In today's episode of The Ancients, Tristan Hughes is joined by Dr. Jessica Venner to uncover the final moments before and during the eruption. From the famous fish sauce trade to the chaos of ash and fire, discover how ordinary Pompeians experienced one of history’s most devastating disasters, and what their stories reveal about life and death in the Roman world. MORE Pompeii: The Buried City Listen on Apple Listen on Spotify Sex Work in Pompeii Listen on Apple Listen on Spotify Presented by Tristan Hughes. Audio editor is Tim Arstall. The producer is Joseph Knight. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff. All music courtesy of Epidemic Sounds The Ancients is a History Hit podcast. Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy…
People in this episode
Host: Tristan Hughes
Guest: Dr. Jessica Venner
Topics covered
- Pompeii
- Mount Vesuvius
- Roman citizens
- disaster
- survival
- history
Keywords
- Pompeii
- Mount Vesuvius
- Roman world
- disaster
- survival
- fish sauce trade
- history
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: History Hit, Epidemic Sounds
Places: Pompeii
More episodes of The Ancients
- The Pharisees · June 11, 2026 · 47 min
- The Rosetta Stone · June 7, 2026 · 45 min
- Neanderthal Art · June 4, 2026 · 1h 9m
- Spartacus · May 31, 2026 · 1h 16m
- The Fall of Hadrian's Wall · May 28, 2026 · 1h 15m
- Iron Age Britain · May 24, 2026 · 60 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the The Ancients podcast page.