How accurate is the dates we asign to ancient events?
When did Vesuvius destroy Pompeii ?
According to the Roman historian Pliny the Younger, Vesuvius erupted in the early afternoon of Aug. 24, 79 AD , destroying Pompeii, Herculaneum and other Roman cities. Did it indeed happened in the year 79. Two of Pliny the Younger's letters refer to the erution and the death of his uncle Pliny the Older. He only mentoined the date and not the Roman year. None of his orginal letters are abvailable , only copies made hundreds of years since his death are available. Is thsi accuracy?
I refer to the following websites
http://www.revisedhistory.org/...ation-historical-dating.htm
http://www.biblicalchronology.com/introduction.htm
http://www.bartleby.com/people/PlinyYng.html
http://www.berkeley.edu/...ia/releases/97legacy/pompeii.html
The third one is included not to confirm 79 AD but to show that scientific is about + - 100 years accurate for relative recent events.
Edited by AdminJar to fix broken links
This message has been edited by AdminJar, 03-24-2005 03:40 PM