Vesuvius’ survivor: Stabiae

The extent of Vesuvius’ devastation AD 79

Unlike the cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum, the seaside villa and port of Stabiae managed to be quickly rebuilt after the devastation of Vesuvius in AD 79 despite being only 10 miles from Vesuvius. Pliny the Elder died at Stabiae as a result of the eruption.

The Roman poet Publius Papinius Statius (c AD 45-96) even wrote about a reborn Stabiae to his wife Claudia (in Silvae Book 3:5)

Quote

 

Vesuvius’ crater and that fatal mountain’s flow of fire has not

Wholly depleted its towns of terrified citizens. Cities stand,

Alive with people. There is Puteoli, founded under Apollo’s

Auspices, its shoreline and harbour welcoming all the world,

There Capua’s walls, that Capys filled with Teucrian settlers,

You can visit the seductive shores of vaporiferous Baiae;

Or the medicinal pools of Venae and renascent Stabiae?

 

https://www.poetryintranslation.com/PITBR/Latin/StatiusSilvaeBkIII.php#anchor_Toc316636107

Here’s a short article about Stabiae:

https://www.heritagedaily.com/2021/03/stabiae-the-roman-resort-buried-by-mount-vesuvius/137475

Here is a previous post about Stabiae:

My memory of that area is of shambles just before the Sorrento train dives into tunnels, so looked up status in wiki. I guess they are still digging and even offer free admission to some modest ruins. From satellite view it kind of looks like poorly rebuilt WW2 damage, but wiki sez ancient baths were demolished in 1956 and the ambitious restoral ran out of money. There is a vacant shipping port clinging to sea cliffs; maybe a Eurozone funded boondoggle.