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Mount Vesuvius (Monte Vesuvio) is a volcano east of Naples, Italy, located at 40°49′N 14°26′ E. It is the only active volcano on the European mainland, although it is not currently in eruption. It is one of four active volcanos in Italy, situated on the coast of the Bay of Naples, about six miles to the eastward of the city and at a short distance from the shore. It forms a conspicuous feature in the beautiful landscape presented by that bay, when viewed from the sea, with the city in the foreground. The mountain is notorious for its destruction of the RomanRoman or Romans has several meanings, primarily related to the Roman citizens but also applicable to typography math and a commune''. Roman The noun Roman means a citizen of Rome. The adjective Roman means pertaining or related to Rome. The name Romans in city of Pompeii in AD 79; it has erupted many times since and is today regarded as one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world.
1 Origin of the name
Mount Vesuvius was regarded by the Greeks and Romans as being sacred to the hero and demigod HerculesHercules was the name in Roman mythology of the hero Heracles from Greek mythology, the son of Jupiter (or Jove, the Roman name for the Greek god Zeus) and the mortal Alcmene. He was made to perform twelve great tasks, called the Twelve Labours of Hercule/ HeraclesFor the son of Alexander the Great, see Heracles (Macedon). In Greek mythology, Heracles or Herakles ("glory of Hera") was the demigod son of Zeus and Alcmene, the grand-daughter of Perseus and the wife of Amphitryon. In Roman mythology he was called Herc, and the town of HerculaneumHerculaneum (modern Italian Ercolano was an ancient Roman town of the Italian region of Campania. It is today most famous for having been preserved, along with Pompeii, in the eruption of Mount Vesuvius beginning on August 24, A. 79 that destroyed the tow, built at its base, was named after him. The mountain itself is also named after Hercules, albeit in a less direct manner. He was the son of the god ZeusZeus Kronios (descendant of Cronus), or simply Zeus or Zdeus ( Greek ) or Dias (Greek ) ("divine king") is the leader of the gods and god of the sky and thunder in Greek mythology. Etymology Zeus is the continuation of Dyeus, the supreme god in Indo-Europ and Alcmene82 Alkmene is an asteroid. Alcmene or Alkmen ("might of the moon") was, in ancient Greek mythology, the daughter of Electryon, king of Mycenae, and wife of Amphitryon. She was the mother of Heracles by Zeus, who assumed the likeness of her husband during of Thebes. Zeus was also known as Ves (Υης) in his aspect as the god of rains and dews. Hercules was thus alternatively known as Vesouuios (Υησουυιος), the son of Ves. This name was corrupted into "Vesuvius".
2 Physical aspects
View of the crater wall of Vesuvius, with Naples in the background
Vesuvius is a distinctive "humpbacked" mountain, consisting of a large cone partially encircled by a large secondary summit, Monte Somma (actually the remains of a huge ancient cone destroyed in a catastrophic eruption, probably the famous one of 79 AD). The height of the main cone is constantly modified by eruptions but presently stands at 1,281m (4,202ft). Monte Somma is 1,149m (3,770ft) high, separated from the main cone by the valley of Atrio di Cavallo, which is some 3 miles (5 km) long. The slopes of the mountain are heavily scarred by lava flows but are heavily vegetated, with scrub at higher altitudes and vineyards lower down. It is still regarded as an active volcano although its activity currently is limited to little more than steam from vents at the bottom of the crater. The area around the mountain is extremely densely populated, with more than two million people living in the region and on the volcano's slopes.
Vesuvius is a composite volcano at the convergent boundary where the African Plate is being subducted beneath the Eurasian Plate. Its lava is composed of viscous andesite. Layers of lava, scoriae, ashes, and pumice make up the mountain.
