In the Land of the Giants: Greek and Roman Discourses on Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields

Even before the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE, some remarked on the area’s resemblance to the known dangers of Sicily’s Mount Etna. This awareness was expressed in observational accounts of Vesuvius’ geology and in mythical stories that linked Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields with battles by Jove or Hercules against the giants. This article explores the ways in which observational and mythical accounts of Vesuvius and the Phlegraean fields can inform each other.