[Rome.] Reports about the horrifying, surprise eruption two weeks ago of Mount Vesuvius on the Bay of Naples keep pouring into Roamin' the Empire's headquarters. Many details are still sketchy. But Roamin' has confirmed that three seaside towns have vanished, as if angry gods had swept them from the face of the earth.

Death Toll 2,000 and Climbing
All three towns-Pompeii, Herculaneum, and Stabiae-were completely buried under ash, rocks, and lava that spewed from Mount Vesuvius. Two thousand people are believed to have perished at Pompeii from volcanic debris as well as the poisonous gases and choking dust that erupted from the volcano. Still unconfirmed fatalities at Herculaneum and Stabiae will undoubtedly push the death toll much higher. Among the victims was Pliny the Elder, commander of the Roman Fleet at Misenum as well as a noted historian and scientist.

Trade Center Destroyed
Of the three towns, the largest was Pompeii, a major seaport and commercial and industrial center. Located less than one millaria from Mount Vesuvius, Pompeii was noted for its cosmopolitan population, including Greeks, Africans, and Etruscans, and large private villas decorated with intricate mosaics and wall paintings. The city also boasted several temples, three public baths, a gladiators' court, many restaurants and shops, and several theaters, including an amphitheater large enough to accommodate the town's entire population of 20,000.

Roamin' the Empire once again scoops all other news sources on this hot story. We have obtained an exclusive interview with Pliny the Younger, the teen who kept his cool when things sizzled!

To read our gripping interview with Pliny the Younger, click on
The Nightmare Begins
Horror and Heroism
Pliny's Fate

To learn more about Pompeii before its
untimely destruction, see Welcome to Pompeii.