In 79 AD, life in Pompeii unfolded beneath the shadow of a tremoring Mount Vesuvius. Streets bustled, businesses thrived, and merchants built fortunes, unaware disaster was hours away. But what happened when that disaster struck? How did these ordinary Roman citizens seek to survive the last days of Pompeii?

In today's episode of The Ancients, Tristan Hughes is joined by Dr. Jessica Venner to uncover the final moments before and during the eruption. From the famous garum trade to the chaos of ash and fire, discover how ordinary Pompeians experienced one of history’s most devastating disasters, and what their stories reveal about life and death in the Roman world.