25th October 79AD Destruction

Historian Bettany Hughes, archaeologist Raksha Dave and John Sergeant describe what happened when Vesuvius, which had lain dormant for 700 years, finally erupted, unleashing its full horror on Pompeii and killing everyone who remained. Bettany tries to understand why so many stayed behind, John retraces the route of Pliny the Elder as he tried in vain to get his fleet to Pompeii to pick up survivors and Raksha uses scientific analysis to solve the mystery of some of the city's most famous skeletons.