Death in a City

by Michael Clegg

Header Image Credit: PeastruPaestrum Wiki Commons

26th March

Death in a City


In AD 79 the city of Pompeii was devastated by the eruption of Vesuvius and smothered in a thick blanket of volcanic material.  Hundreds died and the city then disappeared literally and figuratively from sight for over one thousand five hundred years until the Bourbon King of Naples, Charles III, initiated excavation there in 1748.  Thereafter work continued throughout the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries resulting in about 60% being uncovered but poorly protected.  However, this ancient disaster has given us a unique insight into a complete Romanised town with its forum, civic and religious buildings, shops, baths, houses of both rich and poor, bars, theatres and the world’s first stone-built amphitheatre all revealed to us. In this lecture we’ll learn how the city met its end, walk the streets, explore the buildings and their decoration, and meet some of its citizens and their slaves.

Michael Clegg

Michael (Mike) is a pilot-graduate of the RAF College and spent the first twenty years of his service career flying maritime patrol aircraft from bases in the UK, Mediterranean and Far East.  Thereafter he undertook staff duties in national and international posts, his final position being in Naples as political adviser to senior NATO commanders on Greek-Turkish issues.  While serving he completed a two-year part-time course in British Archaeology at Oxford University before transferring to the Open University where he studied Classical History and Renaissance Art leading to the awards of a Diploma in Classical Studies and a BA(Hons). On a more practical note he has planned and led many tours of ancient sites in mainland Italy, Sicily, Greece, Crete and Cyprus; carried out a survey of his ‘own’ villa in Italy; and excavated in Libya, Italy and the UK.  He has also lectured extensively at home and overseas on the Classical World as well as the Egyptian, Minoan and Mycenaean civilisations.