Like those in Pompeii, the residents of Oplontis began feeling the effects of the first phase of the eruption by mid-day on August 24.  They felt the tremors, saw the volcanic column rise above Vesuvius, and quickly sought shelter from the thick rain of pumice that strong southeast winds began dropping on the area.  The weight of accumulating pumice caused the village’s flat roofs to collapse, forcing many individuals to seek refuge in the Villa of Lucius Crassius Tertius.  Others sought refuge by the sea, but met the same fate as those who fled Herculaneum.

Oplontis and its residents finally fell victim to Vesuvius around one o’clock in the morning of August 25.  The first volcanic surge dropped incandescent, fast-moving clouds of material on the town, killing those who had not yet succeeded in fleeing the area of the eruption.


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