The documentary tells the story of the eruption of
Mount Vesuvius from the point of view of assorted inhabitants of
Pompeii and
Herculaneum whose names and occupations are known, including a local politician and his family, a
fuller, his wife, and two
gladiators. Historical characters include
Pliny the Elder and his nephew
Pliny the Younger. It draws heavily on the eyewitness account of
Pliny the Younger, as well as historical research and recent discoveries in
volcanology. Extensive
CGI was used to recreate the effects of the eruption.
Death throes Most of the people who were in
Pompeii when the fourth
pyroclastic surge hit either died instantly or slowly suffocated to death. • The death throes of those in the family of
Julius Polybius are based upon the 1975 discovery of the skeleton of a heavily pregnant girl (Julia) surrounded by her family, in the actual House of Julius Polybius. Julia's husband,
Sabinus, is shown to have most likely poisoned himself and presumably was the skeleton lying near the foot of the bed Julia's body was found on, along with the bones of her
fetus. • The death of
Stephanus the Fuller is based upon a cast found of a man in the
fetal position (the cast is locked up in an onsite warehouse for safekeeping). • The death of Stephanus' wife,
Fortunata, is based upon the discovery of the body of a rich bejeweled lady in the gladiator barracks, alongside those of gladiators. • In
Herculaneum, the death throes are much simpler, as most people were found during excavations either on the beach or inside the boat houses. Additionally, unlike
Pompeii, when the pyroclastic surges hit Herculaneum, people there were instantly killed, whereas most Pompeians slowly suffocated, although some died instantly. ==Cast==