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History 5
Glossary of History Unit Pompeii A

Key Vocabulary

amphitheatre an oval building without a roof surrounded by rows of seats; it was the
centre of entertainment for ancient Romans.
archaeologist a scientist who studies the fossils, objects, monuments, buildings left
behind by ancient people.
artefact an object, like a tool or a decoration, of historical interest.
debris an accumulation of broken pieces of rock (Geology).
(to) erupt (of a volcano) to become active, explode and eject lava, ash, gases.
eruption (of a volcano) the action of suddenly ejecting lava, ash, gases.
(to) excavate to remove earth to look for very old objects or buildings buried in the ground
in order to find remains (History).
excavation the action of digging out and removing items buried in the ground.
flow a steady, continuous movement of something in a current.
forum a large, open, and public place in the centre of any ancient Roman town. It was
surrounded by buildings and served as a gathering place.
Gaius Plinius Secundus (23 – 79 AD) better known as Pliny the Elder, a Roman author
of encyclopedic works, naturalist, and philosopher. He was born in Como and died of
asphyxiation in Stabiae when the Vesuvius erupted. He was a naval and army commander
and, that day, was attempting the rescue of a friend and his family by ship.
Gaius Plinius Caecilius Secundus (61 – 113 AD) better known as Pliny the Younger, a
Roman author, lawyer, and consul. His uncle, Pliny the Elder, adopted, raised and educated
him. Uncle and nephew were witnesses to the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD, in which
Pliny the Elder died. Pliny the Younger wrote two letters to the historian Tacitus, important
documents for historians and volcanologists to understand the event of the eruption.
gladiator in ancient Rome, a man engaged in a fight to death against another man or a
wild animal, for public entertainment.
Herculaneum a town located at the western base of Mount Vesuvius. It was an ancient Ro-
man town destroyed together with Pompeii, Torre Annunziata, and Stabiae by the Vesuvius
eruption in 79 AD. Their ruins are an UNESCO World Heritage site.
Misenum one of the small villages of the municipality of Bacoli, in the Italian province of
Naples. During Romans’ times it was the foremost military port.
Mount Vesuvius a stratovolcano located on the Bay of Naples. It is active, but volcanolo-
gists consider it to be dormant, because it doesn’t erupt frequently: the last eruption dated
back to 1944, after a long period of dormancy.
pumice a volcanic grey rock that is porous and very light in weight.
remains (usually used in plural) the archaeological or historical relics.
resort town a place designed to provide entertainment and accommodation, where many
people go for rest, on holiday.
Stabiae an ancient Roman town, noted for the medicinal properties of its waters and for
the magnificent Roman villas in the neighbourhood. It was destroyed during the Vesuvius
eruption in 79 AD. The modern town is Castellammare di Stabia.
volcano an opening in the Earth’s crust from which steam, lava, dust, and gases are rele-
ased in the air through eruptions.
(to) witness to see something happen, especially an accident, an historical event or a
natural disaster.