Pompeii: Out of Time with Tom Hiddleston (2026) s01e02 Episode Script
Eruption
[people screaming]
[screaming]
[explosion]
[screaming]
♪
[Tom Hiddleston] In Pompeii,
you can time travel.
And by combining evidence
and imagination,
two timelines,
the past and the present.
I'm tracing two real Romans
through the eruption
of Mount Vesuvius.
First, there's Avianius.
[Avianius] Well,
maybe I am like Dad.
He didn't want anything
to do with you either.
[Claudia] Avi, wait.
[Tom] And he's working at
a blacksmith's outside the city.
[Avianius] It was an earthquake.
[Marcus] You've got to grow up.
[Tom] He's
a little bit headstrong.
Then there's Julia Felix,
a successful businesswoman
and leader of her household.
[Julia] We will
give thanks to Isis.
She'll protect us.
[Tom] They're both right there,
beneath the volcano
with a bomb about to go off.
That's it, they're out of time.
[Marcus] Avi? You okay?
[Julia] Get them inside. Now!
Inside, everyone!
Inside now!
[Aurelia] Avi, please!
[Avianius] I can't. My mum.
[Marcus] You find her,
then find us.
[Tom] He goes back
into Pompeii to get his mum.
Avianius, Julia,
all of Pompeii
they're almost out of time.
♪
♪
Okay, Chris.
This is where we're at.
I think Avianius and Julia
have survived phase 1,
the earthquakes, and phase 2,
the initial eruption.
So, if they've made it this far,
do they stand a chance?
[Chris Jackson] Unfortunately,
they're not out of the woods yet
because 600 million tons
of superheated rock and magma
was blown 20 miles
up into the atmosphere.
[explosion]
We've now entered phase 3,
what we call
the eruption column.
And within minutes,
that rock and magma would start
to rain down on Pompeii.
[Tom] Oh, it must have
been like a war zone.
And Avianius,
he's running right
into the heart of it.
[screaming]
[Julia] Get inside now!
[Cassius] Out of the way,
out of my way.
[Amalthea]
Quickly, Cassius, move!
Hurry, get inside,
inside, inside!
Get inside!
[screaming and shouting]
♪
This isn't just
an earthquake, is it?
[Julia] No.
This is something else.
♪
♪
[clock ticking]
[Tom] I mean, what would it
have been like to be there,
to see it with your own eyes?
Steven, are there
any firsthand accounts
of experiencing
the eruption column?
[Steven Tuck] Well,
there is one in the database,
one firsthand account
from that day in A.D. 79.
Come with me.
[Tom] Yeah.
[Steven] We'll take a look,
see if we can find this
on the shelf here.
In the Ps, in the Ps.
Pliny. Ah, here it is.
A firsthand account
from the ancient world.
[Tom] Ah, the letters
of Gaius Plinius.
My old friend Pliny the Younger.
[Steven] Right.
You did study classics
at university, didn't you?
[Tom] That's what they told me.
[Steven] [laughs]
Well, Pliny was right there
on the Bay of Naples
on that day.
Pliny is your eyewitness.
[Tom] Yes, okay.
This is how he described it.
"The shape of the cloud
can be best described
"as resembling
an umbrella pine tree.
"For it rose up to a great
height, like a tree trunk,
then branched out
in all directions."
[creaking]
[Amalthea] This isn't
going to stop, is it?
[Julia] No. We need
to get away from Vesuvius
as quickly as possible.
[Amalthea] The guests,
they're horrified, hurt.
We can't. We can't go out.
[Julia] I know, but this
will only get worse. Okay?
[crash]
[Tom] "A terrifying
pitch-black cloud split open
"by quivering blasts of fire,
shooting out in all directions,
"revealing longer fiery shapes.
"My uncle was stationed
at Misenum,
in command of the fleet
that day."
Hang on. What?
Pause.
A fleet?
[Steven] That's right.
The Roman imperial fleet,
they were anchored
on the Bay of Naples.
[Tom] Is this describing
a rescue mission?
[Steven] Exactly.
And one of the earliest
ever recorded in history.
[Tom] The Roman navy
is right there?
[Steven] Right there. Yeah.
[Tom] What happens?
I mean, do they make it?
Do they succeed?
[Steven] The letter is
a little vague on details.
We don't know for sure.
[Tom] There must be
a way to find out.
There must be
some way of finding out.
Okay, so what do we know?
We know the Roman fleet has
been mobilized in an attempt
to rescue the people
stranded beneath Vesuvius.
Maybe I'll find survivors
if I trace the rescue mission.
But do they make it to Pompeii?
Do they rescue
Avianius and Julia?
I've got to find a way
of tracking that rescue mission.
♪
I need a boat.
♪
♪
♪
This is how Pliny describes
what they sailed into that day,
"Ash was falling on the ships
"hotter and thicker
the closer they approached.
"Then pumice
and blackened stones
"burnt and fractured
by the fire.
"They hurried to the place
others were fleeing from,
setting their course
straight for danger."
[Darius Arya]
Wait, wait, wait, wait.
Tom, no. This was never
a rescue mission about Pompeii.
Now listen.
[Tom] Oh. Forgive me.
I should introduce you
to helpful archaeologist
and killjoy Dr. Darius Arya.
[Darius] Take a look
at this map.
[Tom] Hang on. Hang on.
Are you saying
the fleet isn't coming
to rescue Julia and Avianius?
[Darius] I'm afraid so.
There's no archaeological
evidence that the Roman Navy
ever got to Pompeii.
However, there were other
Roman towns along the coast.
It's filled with communities.
It's densely packed.
[Tom] Right. Right, right.
Okay, so not just Pompeii then?
There's many towns
along the coast
the fleet could have gone to.
[Darius] Exactly, and right here
only nine miles just above it
is the town of Herculaneum.
[Tom] Ah, yes, Herculaneum.
I, um, I've been there, I came
when I was 17, on my trip.
It was grander,
posher than Pompeii.
[Darius] It's more intimate.
It's better preserved.
But definitely richer.
And it's right here,
at the base of Vesuvius,
in even more imminent danger
than Pompeii.
All those people
are under threat.
All those people
need to be rescued.
[Tom] Okay, well,
what are we waiting for?
Let's go to Herculaneum.
♪
♪
This place really
is opulent, isn't it?
[Darius] Yeah, there's a lot
of serious money here.
And the houses, I mean,
they're some of the most lavish
to be unearthed
from the Roman world.
In fact, the town is,
it's kind of like a beach resort
for the elite of Rome.
[Tom] Right. Almost like
a modern-day Capri
or Palm Beach or something.
[Darius] Exactly.
[Tom] But, Darius, is there any
evidence of the rescue mission?
Does the fleet
make it to Herculaneum?
[Darius] It is complicated.
We do know that there's at least
one member of the military
that was here
during the eruption.
And there's something of his
that I want to show you.
Come on.
Check this out.
[Tom] Ah! Wow.
[Darius] Ta-da!
[Tom] Wow, wow, wow.
[Darius] Okay,
so here is our sword.
[Tom] A soldier's sword?
[Darius] Soldier's sword.
[Tom] Wow!
[Darius] From Herculaneum.
And look at this scabbard.
Look at all the decoration.
The craftsmanship is phenomenal.
[Tom] Look at the detail.
Amazing.
[Darius] This soldier would have
seen a world of experience
in the battlefield.
[Tom] Ah, it makes
the past feel so close.
I mean, it's as if, as if his
hand was holding it moments ago.
[Darius] Right.
And here, this is his belt.
[Tom] Okay.
[Darius] A cingulum militare.
Look again,
all these intricate details.
This could even be the belt
of a Praetorian Guard,
bodyguard to the emperor.
So, this is an elite member
of the military.
[Tom] A soldier?
[Darius] Yeah.
[Tom] An elite soldier?
[Darius] Yeah.
And then we have this other
curious bit of evidence.
He was found with this money,
the exact monthly paycheck
for a Praetorian Guard.
[Tom] But, Darius,
who brings their paycheck
on a rescue mission?
And are we talking about one guy
like a single soldier,
or are we talking about a unit,
do you think?
[Darius] I mean,
that's the question.
Right here,
this represents one soldier.
[Tom] This is one guy?
[Darius] Yeah.
[Tom] Hmm, interesting.
[Tom] I think I've found
my third and final
real Roman to follow.
A soldier.
A member
of the Praetorian Guard.
However, is that enough to say
with certainty that this guy
is a part of Pliny's
rescue mission?
I need something else,
I need more,
I need another explanation.
Another historia.
[sigh]
Okay, what have we got?
We know he's a veteran.
We know he is on his own.
We know he is definitively
in Herculaneum.
Why? What's he doing
in Herculaneum?
Why this town?
Herculaneum is
a place of decadence,
a place of indulgence.
It's a beach resort
for the elite.
A place of boozing, feasting.
And he's a battle-hardened
soldier.
So why is he there?
He's out of place there.
Unless, of course,
he's on holiday there.
He's got money to spend there.
He could be
on shore leave there.
Good place to drink.
Good place to forget.
Maybe he just happens
to be in Herculaneum
on the day before the eruption
of Mount Vesuvius.
Maybe he's just one unlucky guy
who is in the wrong place
at the wrong time.
[bell rings]
Let's try that again, shall we?
[rewinding]
[muffled voices]
[Helvia] Here we are.
The centerpiece has arrived!
[Praetorian] For me? Wonderful.
[Helvia] Thank you.
[Caecillius] Helvia, my dear.
I don't think this
was such a good idea.
[Helvia] He's a member
of the Praetorian Guard.
It's an honor to have him
at our table, I think.
[Praetorian belches]
[Tom] Wait, pause, Darius.
You said the Praetorian Guard
was the most prestigious
in the Roman army, right?
[Darius] Yes. We're talking
about the best of the best.
And let's think about
that Roman Empire.
[Tom] Yeah.
[Darius] Right, all the way
from Britain to Syria.
I mean, this is
the great Roman Empire.
[Tom] Vast.
[Darius] So, what does
Rome do? It extracts.
It takes wealth
from those provinces.
And that wealth,
where does it go?
Primarily it goes to Rome.
[Tom] Right, yeah.
[Darius] But it's also coming
into a lot of other cities
and towns, like Herculaneum.
[Tom] Right.
[Darius] It's a beneficiary.
[Tom] So, our soldier,
he would be coming here
to enjoy that, to
[Darius] Yeah, but,
I mean, he's also seen
the dark side of the empire.
He knows truly firsthand
the cost of that,
of that wealth
and success of the empire.
[Tom] Which in real terms is
theft and pillage and bloodshed.
His own blood, I would think.
I mean, I guess if this
was a contemporary soldier,
we might even be talking
about post-traumatic stress.
[muffled voices]
[muffled voices]
[Praetorian]
Who wants to hear a story?
[Guest] Yes.
[Praetorian] Mmm?
[Guest] Just what we need.
[Praetorian] That's why
you asked me here, right?
Stories. The glory of war.
So where shall I begin?
Betrayal!
Corruption. Greed!
[Helvia] Actually,
we'd rather you
[Praetorian] So refined.
So civilized.
But all this
I've seen
what it really costs.
Blood.
[Caecillius] I think we've
heard enough. Time to go.
[Praetorian] You wallow
in all your wealth.
Who do you think
stole it for you?
Or do you just not care?
Of course not.
Just out for yourselves.
Oh, we all are.
Good night, rich lady.
[muffled voices]
[Helvia] Wait, hold on.
Wait, you've left your sword.
[Tom] So, he'd have
seen some things.
Some hard things.
[Darius] Yeah.
What he experienced
would have been hell.
He would have lived through
one of the worst periods
of Roman history,
the Year of the Four Emperors.
So, you've got, you know,
Galba, and then you have Otho,
Vitellius,
and finally Vespasian.
And each time,
you're fighting wars
against your brothers in arms.
[Tom] Facing death every day,
taking life
or defending his own.
That's enough to take you down,
make you disillusioned
and disenchanted.
Make you lose your faith
in people.
[Helvia] Wait, wait.
Hold on. Don't go.
Here, you left this.
You're wrong, you know.
Not everyone is just
out for themself.
There are acts of kindness,
bravery, self-sacrifice,
small and often barely noticed
in every household
all around you,
maybe even still in you.
People aren't always
predictable.
They can surprise you.
[Praetorian]
Sweet fantasy, rich lady.
[Helvia] Get some sleep.
♪
♪
♪
♪
♪
♪
♪
♪
♪
[Tom whispering]
We don't know his name.
♪
♪
♪
♪
Hang on,
you said this place
was a beach resort,
so where's the sea?
[Darius] Well,
we are on the beach,
and the sea was right there.
So you'd have the, the waves,
you have the boats in the water.
[Tom] Hang on.
What are you talking about?
The coast is,
is half a mile away.
[Darius] Yeah, but that's
the power of the eruption.
It's gonna radically change
the whole geography
of the entire Bay of Naples.
[Tom] Wow.
[Darius] So, when we look
at this cliff,
it's actually a deposit,
82 feet high,
of volcanic debris
accumulated in a single day,
covering over everything,
the entire city.
[Tom] They're gonna be buried
even deeper than Pompeii.
♪
♪
[clock ticking]
[Tom] Okay,
so we have a Praetorian.
In a matter of minutes,
unbeknownst to him,
he'll come face-to-face with one
of the worst natural disasters
ever to hit the ancient world.
Now, on the face of it,
he is exactly the sort of person
needed in a situation like this.
He has the experience,
he has the authority,
he has the expertise, but
he's also been through a lot.
He's seen the horror
and reality of war.
He's a soldier
in the autumn of his years.
Is he up to it?
Does he have it in him?
Does he even want
to help these people?
♪
Or do we have ourselves
a classic redemption story?
Because I know a thing
or two about those.
♪
[screaming and shouting]
[screaming and shouting]
♪
♪
Vesuvius is so close.
I mean, they're
completely boxed in.
They're trapped, right?
[Darius] Yeah.
[Tom] And the only possible
way out is off this beach.
The Praetorian has to act.
He has to do something now.
♪
♪
[Chris] The ash and pumice
contained in the eruption column
was falling
on the residents of Pompeii.
But amongst that are
much larger blocks of solid rock
called volcanic bombs.
[Tom] Volcanic bombs?
[screaming and shouting]
[screaming and shouting]
[Child] Take cover!
[Townsperson] Livia!
No!
[Avianius]
No! It's not safe! No!
[crash]
♪
♪
[Tom] So, Pompeii
is a city under fire.
But Julia, I mean,
her and her household
have taken shelter
by now, right?
She's, she's safe, isn't she?
[Chris] Not exactly,
Tom, because of
the falling ash and pumice
would be kind of accumulating,
building up on rooftops at the
rate of up to two feet an hour,
becoming so heavy it would
cause those roofs to fall
on top of people
who are sheltering.
And worse was still to come
because the eruption column
is still growing,
becoming so dense, so heavy
that the geothermic energy
won't be able to support it
anymore, and it will collapse,
burying Herculaneum and Pompeii.
[Tom] How long do they have?
[Chris] Not long.
Herculaneum is first
in the firing line.
Soon, it will be
completely buried.
[Tom] But there's
still time, right?
There's still some chance
that they can evacuate?
[Chris] It's a slim chance.
[Tom] So Julia's got an almost
impossible choice to make.
Either she stays
and risks her and her guests
being buried alive
or she evacuates
and faces bombardment
on the streets of Pompeii.
[Julia whispering]
Lady of the flame,
I pray to you, I beg you,
I beseech you.
Isis, save us.
[Tom] Sarita, so the city's
being buried alive
in a blizzard
of volcanic rock and ash.
Can psychology tell us how
the Praetorian, Avianius,
and Julia might react?
[Sarita Robinson]
Well, yes.
When we're in any sort
of environment,
we're always scanning for danger
and looking for threats.
And if
[Tom] A threat like a volcano
going off over there?
[Sarita] Exactly, and when
we see something like that,
it activates a part of our brain
known as the amygdala,
and if that's triggered,
the fight-or-flight response
will then happen automatically.
[Tom] Fight-or-flight.
[screaming and shouting]
[screaming and shouting]
[Sarita] So the flight response,
it's about self-preservation,
it's about trying to get away
from the danger.
[crash]
[Praetorian] Oh!
[breathes]
[breathing heavily]
[Distant voice] Guard!
Retreat!
[Tom] So I guess the Praetorian
is in flight mode,
like everyone else in the city.
[screaming and shouting]
[Townsperson] Out of my way.
Get it off him.
You're breaking the boat!
Hey!
That's my boat!
[Tom] And, Sarita,
what about the fight response?
[Sarita] Well, fighting
doesn't always mean
that you're physically
fighting someone,
it can also mean that you're
fighting against the environment
to get to something you need.
We want to maybe
rescue a loved one.
[Tom] Just like
Avianius is doing.
He's running into harm's way,
trying to reunite
with his mother.
[Avianius panting]
[Tom] Oh.
But what about Julia?
She's the one
I can't quite figure out.
Is she fight or is she flight?
[Sarita] Well, actually,
she might be neither
of those two things.
There is a third "F",
and that's the freeze response.
It's sometimes also known
as cognitive paralysis,
and that's when the brain
is so overwhelmed
that it can't
generate a response.
[Tom] Do you think
she freezes, though?
I'm not sure, you see.
It just doesn't sound like Julia
is the type of person
who would freeze.
She's intelligent, she's tough,
she's practical, she's a leader.
[Sarita] I think
you might be right.
You know, if you look
around at everything
that she's created here,
it's clear that she's
a very successful businesswoman.
[Tom] Absolutely.
[Sarita] She keeps cool
under pressure.
[Tom] But there
has to be a reason.
Oh, um, why does she stay?
[Sarita] It could be
that she's actually
physically tied to this place.
She's got an emotional bond
to everything here.
[Tom] And yet, I think
that she's the kind of person
who would believe
if she built it once,
she could build it again.
[Sarita] So maybe it isn't
a tie to the place, then.
Maybe it's a tie to the people.
[Tom] That's it.
It's the people.
Of course.
Julia needs to convince
her guests to evacuate.
She wouldn't abandon them.
She wouldn't leave
until she'd got everyone out.
[Julia] My dear friends,
please, listen to me carefully.
It's not safe to stay here.
We must leave
as soon as possible.
So, please, try to collect
only those things
that are necessary
for a journey, please.
I know you're scared, but this
is only going to get worse.
[Cassius] Hold on.
[Julia] What?
[Cassius] You, you expect us
to go out into that?
[Julia] Cassius.
[Cassius] Are you mad?
Do you really think the goddess
Isis is going to protect us
after your pathetic offerings?
Huh?
It's death out there.
She can't protect us!
A woman?
No.
I'm staying right here. Mmm?
The rest of you,
do what you like.
[Guest] I think we should stay.
[Amalthea] No, no, come on.
[Guest] It'll be fine.
We're safe here.
[Julia] Of course,
you're my guest, Cassius.
♪
[Tom] It's hopeless.
People are running,
fighting amongst themselves.
You heard her.
It's not safe to stay.
People are making
the wrong decisions
when they should be working
together to evacuate.
It's just self-preservation.
They're out for themselves.
Just as the Praetorian said.
[Helvia] They'll
send more boats.
I'm sure there
will be more boats.
[indistinct shouting]
[Townsperson]
The sun is disappearing!
The sun has gone!
♪
♪
[Tom] So, Chris,
what's happening now?
[Chris] This is now phase 4
of the eruption.
The eruption column now
becomes so vast, so dense
that it was actually stopping
sunlight reaching Herculaneum,
Pompeii, well,
the whole Bay of Naples.
It turned day to night.
[Tom] Phase 4.
Eclipse.
♪
♪
♪
♪
♪
This is how Pliny describes
being inside the ash cloud.
"Darkness fell,
not like a moonless
or cloudy night,
but like a closed room when
the light is extinguished."
♪
♪
♪
[baby crying]
[screaming]
You could hear
the howls of women,
the wailing of babies,
and the shouts of men.
Some were calling
for their children,
some for their parents,
some for their spouses,
trying to recognize
their voices.
[Julia] Hear me, Isis,
come to me.
Lady of the flame,
I pray to you,
I beg you, I beseech you.
Isis, save us.
[Tom] "There were some in their
fear of dying, begged for death.
"Many raised their hands
to the gods.
"Still more concluded
there were no gods left,
an everlasting night
had descended on the Earth.”
♪
♪
"In this darkness,
on your own
"the swirl of ash
and smoke in the air,
"the constant cracking
from deep in the earth,
"rocks raining down on you,
how do you
find your way in this?"
[Avianius] Mum?
♪
Mum, please.
Mum?
Where are you?
Mum!
♪
[Tom] I've reached
a point in the story
that I really wanted to avoid.
And that's the story
of those tragic plaster casts,
the plaster casts
of the people of Pompeii
who were frozen in death.
The thing about those casts
is they're not recreations
of human shapes.
They are human shapes.
They're people.
Maybe I was naive.
How can I avoid the truth?
[Avianius sobbing]
[Avianius sobbing]
Maybe the story of Pompeii
is only a story
of death, after all.
And how,
how does anyone,
how does Avianius,
survive that?
[Tom] Sarita, is this
where their story ends?
[Sarita] Well, even
in the heat of an emergency,
people are capable
of engaging
in what we call
pro-social behavior.
[Tom] Pro-social behavior?
[Sarita] Yes.
So, we see people helping
and supporting each other,
rescuing each other--
friends, family,
or even total strangers.
[Tom] They rescue one another?
[Sarita] Yes.
[Townsperson]
Get away from my boat!
[Helvia] Please,
listen to me. Listen.
[Townsperson] That's my boat!
It's mine!
[Helvia] Stop!
Please!
[Sarita] And there is
something else, Tom.
[Tom] Okay.
[Sarita] There are some people
who will know how to respond.
[Tom] And who are they?
[Sarita] Those that have
had specific training.
[Helvia] Please! Please!
[Tom] So, an experienced
soldier might know?
[Sarita] Exactly.
[Tom] Well, they have one.
[Townsperson] Aah!
[Helvia] No! [screams]
[Praetorian] Hello, rich lady.
[Sarita] It's what the military
calls skills and drills,
which means that they
can take the decisive,
unemotional,
and effective action
that's needed
to get people to safety.
[Helvia] We have
to do something.
You're a Praetorian.
They'll listen to you.
[indistinct shouting]
[Townsperson] Too many people.
[Praetorian]
Right, listen to me.
[shouting and arguing]
Listen to me.
Listen to me!
[shouting and arguing]
Enough!
Enough now! Listen to me!
Everyone needs to work together.
Women and children,
form lines to my left, quickly.
Experienced sailors, prepare
the boats, keel lamps lit.
Men, start loading people
as fast as you can.
Rich lady, I need a head count.
Do we have any doctors?
[Doctor] I am.
[Praetorian] Good.
Everyone is getting
off this beach.
Come on. There's
no time to waste.
Come on!
[Tom] Okay, so the people on
the beach have the Praetorian,
but no one's coming
to save Avianius, are they?
[Sarita] Well, not necessarily.
There's one thing
that my research has shown,
and that's across the world,
throughout time
and in every culture,
every crisis imaginable,
mums, mums will go
and look for their kids.
♪
[Claudia] Avi?
Avi?
Avi?
Avi?
Avi?
Avi?
Avi?
Avi?
[Avianius] Mum?
[Claudia] Avi?
[Avianius] Mum!
[Claudia] Avi!
[Avianius] Mum?
[Claudia] Avi?
Avi?
Avi!
♪
♪
♪
Ah.
[sobbing]
[Tom] She's got him.
[Claudia] I've got you.
[Avianius] Mum, I,
I'm sorry for what I said,
and everything's my fault.
[Claudia] No, no. Love, you
don't need to say a thing, okay?
None of that matters.
We're together. Okay?
Come. It's not safe here.
Let's go.
Okay. Go, go, go.
♪
♪
[Tom] So maybe it isn't
the Roman fleet after all.
Maybe I've been looking
in the wrong place all along.
It isn't Rome to the rescue,
it's the people.
They rescue each other.
[Helvia] Everyone,
if you can form lines.
[Praetorian]
Come on, quickly, quickly.
[Townsperson] Let's go.
Quickly. Quickly. Come on now.
[Helvia] Let's get you
to the front.
We'll get you on the first boat.
[baby crying]
[indistinct shouting]
[Praetorian]
Right, how close are we?
[Townsperson]
The first boat's nearly ready.
We're going as fast as we can.
[Praetorian] How long?
[Townsperson] 10 minutes.
[Praetorian] Make it five.
[Townsperson] Yes, sir.
[Praetorian] Don't let up.
Everyone, listen up.
Get ready to start
boarding the boats.
[Tom] Darius.
[Darius] Yeah.
[Tom] Question.
Does the evacuation work?
[Darius] Well, there's
another piece of information
you need to know.
[Tom] Okay.
[Darius] Unlike Pompeii, a city
filled with casts of all those,
you know, bodies of people.
[Tom] Yeah.
[Darius] When they
excavate Herculaneum,
a city of approximately
5,000 people, up in the city,
they basically
don't find any bodies.
[Tom] So, something did happen
on this beach, right?
[Darius] There does
seem to have been
some sort of attempt
of an evacuation.
[Helvia] Next group,
keep moving forward.
[Praetorian]
Into the boats! Hurry!
That's it. Another two full.
Get them gone. Now!
[Helvia] We've got
the next group ready.
[Praetorian] Keep them coming.
[Helvia] Keep coming, everyone.
Keep coming.
[Townsperson] Boat's full.
[Praetorian] Boat's full.
Go, go go!
[Townsperson]
Three, two, one, heave!
[Praetorian] Next group, get up.
Quickly but orderly.
[Helvia] Come now.
[Praetorian] Into the boats,
fast as you can.
Hurry, hurry.
[Tom] It's working.
They're all finally getting out.
They might just make it.
But what about Julia?
It's got to be now or never.
[Julia] Can we talk, Cassius?
[Cassius] I told you, woman,
I'm staying right here.
[Julia] I'm afraid you are not.
[Cassius] Oh.
I'm afraid that I am.
[Julia] Your bill.
[Cassius] What?
[Julia] Your bill.
You haven't paid your bill
since when, Amalthea?
[Amalthea] A month.
[Julia] Right. A month.
[Cassius] Now is not
the time for this.
[Julia] I gave you fair warning.
[Cassius] I, I,
I was going to pay it.
[Julia] It's too late, Cassius.
You're past due,
and now you have to leave.
Actually, you all have to leave.
[Guest] What? What?
[Julia] We are officially
closed for business, right?
[Cassius] Oh, I see.
You're going to, uh, hoard
all the supplies for yourselves.
[Amalthea] No.
They're coming with us.
Let's go.
Let's go.
[Guest] Let's go.
[Julia] We are leaving Pompeii!
[Cassius] Impossible, woman.
♪
[explosion]
[Claudia] Okay, we're leaving
in one minute, Avi.
[Tom] There's one more line
from Pliny's letter
[Livia] Get some water.
[Tom] that I'd like
to read to you.
“The fortunate man is he to whom
the gods have granted the power
to do something
which is worth recording.”
I think the people on the beach
that day, whoever they were,
did something that
was worth recording.
And here we are,
2,000 years later,
telling their story,
witnessing their actions,
acknowledging and understanding
their humanity.
We don't know their names.
But this is their legacy,
a legacy of survival.
[watch beeping]
[bell rings]
[clock ticking]
[clock ticking]
♪
[Praetorian] Everyone,
into the boat sheds.
Now!
[bell rings]
[clock ticking]
♪
♪
♪
♪
♪
♪
♪
♪
♪
♪
♪
♪
♪
[screaming]
[explosion]
[screaming]
♪
[Tom Hiddleston] In Pompeii,
you can time travel.
And by combining evidence
and imagination,
two timelines,
the past and the present.
I'm tracing two real Romans
through the eruption
of Mount Vesuvius.
First, there's Avianius.
[Avianius] Well,
maybe I am like Dad.
He didn't want anything
to do with you either.
[Claudia] Avi, wait.
[Tom] And he's working at
a blacksmith's outside the city.
[Avianius] It was an earthquake.
[Marcus] You've got to grow up.
[Tom] He's
a little bit headstrong.
Then there's Julia Felix,
a successful businesswoman
and leader of her household.
[Julia] We will
give thanks to Isis.
She'll protect us.
[Tom] They're both right there,
beneath the volcano
with a bomb about to go off.
That's it, they're out of time.
[Marcus] Avi? You okay?
[Julia] Get them inside. Now!
Inside, everyone!
Inside now!
[Aurelia] Avi, please!
[Avianius] I can't. My mum.
[Marcus] You find her,
then find us.
[Tom] He goes back
into Pompeii to get his mum.
Avianius, Julia,
all of Pompeii
they're almost out of time.
♪
♪
Okay, Chris.
This is where we're at.
I think Avianius and Julia
have survived phase 1,
the earthquakes, and phase 2,
the initial eruption.
So, if they've made it this far,
do they stand a chance?
[Chris Jackson] Unfortunately,
they're not out of the woods yet
because 600 million tons
of superheated rock and magma
was blown 20 miles
up into the atmosphere.
[explosion]
We've now entered phase 3,
what we call
the eruption column.
And within minutes,
that rock and magma would start
to rain down on Pompeii.
[Tom] Oh, it must have
been like a war zone.
And Avianius,
he's running right
into the heart of it.
[screaming]
[Julia] Get inside now!
[Cassius] Out of the way,
out of my way.
[Amalthea]
Quickly, Cassius, move!
Hurry, get inside,
inside, inside!
Get inside!
[screaming and shouting]
♪
This isn't just
an earthquake, is it?
[Julia] No.
This is something else.
♪
♪
[clock ticking]
[Tom] I mean, what would it
have been like to be there,
to see it with your own eyes?
Steven, are there
any firsthand accounts
of experiencing
the eruption column?
[Steven Tuck] Well,
there is one in the database,
one firsthand account
from that day in A.D. 79.
Come with me.
[Tom] Yeah.
[Steven] We'll take a look,
see if we can find this
on the shelf here.
In the Ps, in the Ps.
Pliny. Ah, here it is.
A firsthand account
from the ancient world.
[Tom] Ah, the letters
of Gaius Plinius.
My old friend Pliny the Younger.
[Steven] Right.
You did study classics
at university, didn't you?
[Tom] That's what they told me.
[Steven] [laughs]
Well, Pliny was right there
on the Bay of Naples
on that day.
Pliny is your eyewitness.
[Tom] Yes, okay.
This is how he described it.
"The shape of the cloud
can be best described
"as resembling
an umbrella pine tree.
"For it rose up to a great
height, like a tree trunk,
then branched out
in all directions."
[creaking]
[Amalthea] This isn't
going to stop, is it?
[Julia] No. We need
to get away from Vesuvius
as quickly as possible.
[Amalthea] The guests,
they're horrified, hurt.
We can't. We can't go out.
[Julia] I know, but this
will only get worse. Okay?
[crash]
[Tom] "A terrifying
pitch-black cloud split open
"by quivering blasts of fire,
shooting out in all directions,
"revealing longer fiery shapes.
"My uncle was stationed
at Misenum,
in command of the fleet
that day."
Hang on. What?
Pause.
A fleet?
[Steven] That's right.
The Roman imperial fleet,
they were anchored
on the Bay of Naples.
[Tom] Is this describing
a rescue mission?
[Steven] Exactly.
And one of the earliest
ever recorded in history.
[Tom] The Roman navy
is right there?
[Steven] Right there. Yeah.
[Tom] What happens?
I mean, do they make it?
Do they succeed?
[Steven] The letter is
a little vague on details.
We don't know for sure.
[Tom] There must be
a way to find out.
There must be
some way of finding out.
Okay, so what do we know?
We know the Roman fleet has
been mobilized in an attempt
to rescue the people
stranded beneath Vesuvius.
Maybe I'll find survivors
if I trace the rescue mission.
But do they make it to Pompeii?
Do they rescue
Avianius and Julia?
I've got to find a way
of tracking that rescue mission.
♪
I need a boat.
♪
♪
♪
This is how Pliny describes
what they sailed into that day,
"Ash was falling on the ships
"hotter and thicker
the closer they approached.
"Then pumice
and blackened stones
"burnt and fractured
by the fire.
"They hurried to the place
others were fleeing from,
setting their course
straight for danger."
[Darius Arya]
Wait, wait, wait, wait.
Tom, no. This was never
a rescue mission about Pompeii.
Now listen.
[Tom] Oh. Forgive me.
I should introduce you
to helpful archaeologist
and killjoy Dr. Darius Arya.
[Darius] Take a look
at this map.
[Tom] Hang on. Hang on.
Are you saying
the fleet isn't coming
to rescue Julia and Avianius?
[Darius] I'm afraid so.
There's no archaeological
evidence that the Roman Navy
ever got to Pompeii.
However, there were other
Roman towns along the coast.
It's filled with communities.
It's densely packed.
[Tom] Right. Right, right.
Okay, so not just Pompeii then?
There's many towns
along the coast
the fleet could have gone to.
[Darius] Exactly, and right here
only nine miles just above it
is the town of Herculaneum.
[Tom] Ah, yes, Herculaneum.
I, um, I've been there, I came
when I was 17, on my trip.
It was grander,
posher than Pompeii.
[Darius] It's more intimate.
It's better preserved.
But definitely richer.
And it's right here,
at the base of Vesuvius,
in even more imminent danger
than Pompeii.
All those people
are under threat.
All those people
need to be rescued.
[Tom] Okay, well,
what are we waiting for?
Let's go to Herculaneum.
♪
♪
This place really
is opulent, isn't it?
[Darius] Yeah, there's a lot
of serious money here.
And the houses, I mean,
they're some of the most lavish
to be unearthed
from the Roman world.
In fact, the town is,
it's kind of like a beach resort
for the elite of Rome.
[Tom] Right. Almost like
a modern-day Capri
or Palm Beach or something.
[Darius] Exactly.
[Tom] But, Darius, is there any
evidence of the rescue mission?
Does the fleet
make it to Herculaneum?
[Darius] It is complicated.
We do know that there's at least
one member of the military
that was here
during the eruption.
And there's something of his
that I want to show you.
Come on.
Check this out.
[Tom] Ah! Wow.
[Darius] Ta-da!
[Tom] Wow, wow, wow.
[Darius] Okay,
so here is our sword.
[Tom] A soldier's sword?
[Darius] Soldier's sword.
[Tom] Wow!
[Darius] From Herculaneum.
And look at this scabbard.
Look at all the decoration.
The craftsmanship is phenomenal.
[Tom] Look at the detail.
Amazing.
[Darius] This soldier would have
seen a world of experience
in the battlefield.
[Tom] Ah, it makes
the past feel so close.
I mean, it's as if, as if his
hand was holding it moments ago.
[Darius] Right.
And here, this is his belt.
[Tom] Okay.
[Darius] A cingulum militare.
Look again,
all these intricate details.
This could even be the belt
of a Praetorian Guard,
bodyguard to the emperor.
So, this is an elite member
of the military.
[Tom] A soldier?
[Darius] Yeah.
[Tom] An elite soldier?
[Darius] Yeah.
And then we have this other
curious bit of evidence.
He was found with this money,
the exact monthly paycheck
for a Praetorian Guard.
[Tom] But, Darius,
who brings their paycheck
on a rescue mission?
And are we talking about one guy
like a single soldier,
or are we talking about a unit,
do you think?
[Darius] I mean,
that's the question.
Right here,
this represents one soldier.
[Tom] This is one guy?
[Darius] Yeah.
[Tom] Hmm, interesting.
[Tom] I think I've found
my third and final
real Roman to follow.
A soldier.
A member
of the Praetorian Guard.
However, is that enough to say
with certainty that this guy
is a part of Pliny's
rescue mission?
I need something else,
I need more,
I need another explanation.
Another historia.
[sigh]
Okay, what have we got?
We know he's a veteran.
We know he is on his own.
We know he is definitively
in Herculaneum.
Why? What's he doing
in Herculaneum?
Why this town?
Herculaneum is
a place of decadence,
a place of indulgence.
It's a beach resort
for the elite.
A place of boozing, feasting.
And he's a battle-hardened
soldier.
So why is he there?
He's out of place there.
Unless, of course,
he's on holiday there.
He's got money to spend there.
He could be
on shore leave there.
Good place to drink.
Good place to forget.
Maybe he just happens
to be in Herculaneum
on the day before the eruption
of Mount Vesuvius.
Maybe he's just one unlucky guy
who is in the wrong place
at the wrong time.
[bell rings]
Let's try that again, shall we?
[rewinding]
[muffled voices]
[Helvia] Here we are.
The centerpiece has arrived!
[Praetorian] For me? Wonderful.
[Helvia] Thank you.
[Caecillius] Helvia, my dear.
I don't think this
was such a good idea.
[Helvia] He's a member
of the Praetorian Guard.
It's an honor to have him
at our table, I think.
[Praetorian belches]
[Tom] Wait, pause, Darius.
You said the Praetorian Guard
was the most prestigious
in the Roman army, right?
[Darius] Yes. We're talking
about the best of the best.
And let's think about
that Roman Empire.
[Tom] Yeah.
[Darius] Right, all the way
from Britain to Syria.
I mean, this is
the great Roman Empire.
[Tom] Vast.
[Darius] So, what does
Rome do? It extracts.
It takes wealth
from those provinces.
And that wealth,
where does it go?
Primarily it goes to Rome.
[Tom] Right, yeah.
[Darius] But it's also coming
into a lot of other cities
and towns, like Herculaneum.
[Tom] Right.
[Darius] It's a beneficiary.
[Tom] So, our soldier,
he would be coming here
to enjoy that, to
[Darius] Yeah, but,
I mean, he's also seen
the dark side of the empire.
He knows truly firsthand
the cost of that,
of that wealth
and success of the empire.
[Tom] Which in real terms is
theft and pillage and bloodshed.
His own blood, I would think.
I mean, I guess if this
was a contemporary soldier,
we might even be talking
about post-traumatic stress.
[muffled voices]
[muffled voices]
[Praetorian]
Who wants to hear a story?
[Guest] Yes.
[Praetorian] Mmm?
[Guest] Just what we need.
[Praetorian] That's why
you asked me here, right?
Stories. The glory of war.
So where shall I begin?
Betrayal!
Corruption. Greed!
[Helvia] Actually,
we'd rather you
[Praetorian] So refined.
So civilized.
But all this
I've seen
what it really costs.
Blood.
[Caecillius] I think we've
heard enough. Time to go.
[Praetorian] You wallow
in all your wealth.
Who do you think
stole it for you?
Or do you just not care?
Of course not.
Just out for yourselves.
Oh, we all are.
Good night, rich lady.
[muffled voices]
[Helvia] Wait, hold on.
Wait, you've left your sword.
[Tom] So, he'd have
seen some things.
Some hard things.
[Darius] Yeah.
What he experienced
would have been hell.
He would have lived through
one of the worst periods
of Roman history,
the Year of the Four Emperors.
So, you've got, you know,
Galba, and then you have Otho,
Vitellius,
and finally Vespasian.
And each time,
you're fighting wars
against your brothers in arms.
[Tom] Facing death every day,
taking life
or defending his own.
That's enough to take you down,
make you disillusioned
and disenchanted.
Make you lose your faith
in people.
[Helvia] Wait, wait.
Hold on. Don't go.
Here, you left this.
You're wrong, you know.
Not everyone is just
out for themself.
There are acts of kindness,
bravery, self-sacrifice,
small and often barely noticed
in every household
all around you,
maybe even still in you.
People aren't always
predictable.
They can surprise you.
[Praetorian]
Sweet fantasy, rich lady.
[Helvia] Get some sleep.
♪
♪
♪
♪
♪
♪
♪
♪
♪
[Tom whispering]
We don't know his name.
♪
♪
♪
♪
Hang on,
you said this place
was a beach resort,
so where's the sea?
[Darius] Well,
we are on the beach,
and the sea was right there.
So you'd have the, the waves,
you have the boats in the water.
[Tom] Hang on.
What are you talking about?
The coast is,
is half a mile away.
[Darius] Yeah, but that's
the power of the eruption.
It's gonna radically change
the whole geography
of the entire Bay of Naples.
[Tom] Wow.
[Darius] So, when we look
at this cliff,
it's actually a deposit,
82 feet high,
of volcanic debris
accumulated in a single day,
covering over everything,
the entire city.
[Tom] They're gonna be buried
even deeper than Pompeii.
♪
♪
[clock ticking]
[Tom] Okay,
so we have a Praetorian.
In a matter of minutes,
unbeknownst to him,
he'll come face-to-face with one
of the worst natural disasters
ever to hit the ancient world.
Now, on the face of it,
he is exactly the sort of person
needed in a situation like this.
He has the experience,
he has the authority,
he has the expertise, but
he's also been through a lot.
He's seen the horror
and reality of war.
He's a soldier
in the autumn of his years.
Is he up to it?
Does he have it in him?
Does he even want
to help these people?
♪
Or do we have ourselves
a classic redemption story?
Because I know a thing
or two about those.
♪
[screaming and shouting]
[screaming and shouting]
♪
♪
Vesuvius is so close.
I mean, they're
completely boxed in.
They're trapped, right?
[Darius] Yeah.
[Tom] And the only possible
way out is off this beach.
The Praetorian has to act.
He has to do something now.
♪
♪
[Chris] The ash and pumice
contained in the eruption column
was falling
on the residents of Pompeii.
But amongst that are
much larger blocks of solid rock
called volcanic bombs.
[Tom] Volcanic bombs?
[screaming and shouting]
[screaming and shouting]
[Child] Take cover!
[Townsperson] Livia!
No!
[Avianius]
No! It's not safe! No!
[crash]
♪
♪
[Tom] So, Pompeii
is a city under fire.
But Julia, I mean,
her and her household
have taken shelter
by now, right?
She's, she's safe, isn't she?
[Chris] Not exactly,
Tom, because of
the falling ash and pumice
would be kind of accumulating,
building up on rooftops at the
rate of up to two feet an hour,
becoming so heavy it would
cause those roofs to fall
on top of people
who are sheltering.
And worse was still to come
because the eruption column
is still growing,
becoming so dense, so heavy
that the geothermic energy
won't be able to support it
anymore, and it will collapse,
burying Herculaneum and Pompeii.
[Tom] How long do they have?
[Chris] Not long.
Herculaneum is first
in the firing line.
Soon, it will be
completely buried.
[Tom] But there's
still time, right?
There's still some chance
that they can evacuate?
[Chris] It's a slim chance.
[Tom] So Julia's got an almost
impossible choice to make.
Either she stays
and risks her and her guests
being buried alive
or she evacuates
and faces bombardment
on the streets of Pompeii.
[Julia whispering]
Lady of the flame,
I pray to you, I beg you,
I beseech you.
Isis, save us.
[Tom] Sarita, so the city's
being buried alive
in a blizzard
of volcanic rock and ash.
Can psychology tell us how
the Praetorian, Avianius,
and Julia might react?
[Sarita Robinson]
Well, yes.
When we're in any sort
of environment,
we're always scanning for danger
and looking for threats.
And if
[Tom] A threat like a volcano
going off over there?
[Sarita] Exactly, and when
we see something like that,
it activates a part of our brain
known as the amygdala,
and if that's triggered,
the fight-or-flight response
will then happen automatically.
[Tom] Fight-or-flight.
[screaming and shouting]
[screaming and shouting]
[Sarita] So the flight response,
it's about self-preservation,
it's about trying to get away
from the danger.
[crash]
[Praetorian] Oh!
[breathes]
[breathing heavily]
[Distant voice] Guard!
Retreat!
[Tom] So I guess the Praetorian
is in flight mode,
like everyone else in the city.
[screaming and shouting]
[Townsperson] Out of my way.
Get it off him.
You're breaking the boat!
Hey!
That's my boat!
[Tom] And, Sarita,
what about the fight response?
[Sarita] Well, fighting
doesn't always mean
that you're physically
fighting someone,
it can also mean that you're
fighting against the environment
to get to something you need.
We want to maybe
rescue a loved one.
[Tom] Just like
Avianius is doing.
He's running into harm's way,
trying to reunite
with his mother.
[Avianius panting]
[Tom] Oh.
But what about Julia?
She's the one
I can't quite figure out.
Is she fight or is she flight?
[Sarita] Well, actually,
she might be neither
of those two things.
There is a third "F",
and that's the freeze response.
It's sometimes also known
as cognitive paralysis,
and that's when the brain
is so overwhelmed
that it can't
generate a response.
[Tom] Do you think
she freezes, though?
I'm not sure, you see.
It just doesn't sound like Julia
is the type of person
who would freeze.
She's intelligent, she's tough,
she's practical, she's a leader.
[Sarita] I think
you might be right.
You know, if you look
around at everything
that she's created here,
it's clear that she's
a very successful businesswoman.
[Tom] Absolutely.
[Sarita] She keeps cool
under pressure.
[Tom] But there
has to be a reason.
Oh, um, why does she stay?
[Sarita] It could be
that she's actually
physically tied to this place.
She's got an emotional bond
to everything here.
[Tom] And yet, I think
that she's the kind of person
who would believe
if she built it once,
she could build it again.
[Sarita] So maybe it isn't
a tie to the place, then.
Maybe it's a tie to the people.
[Tom] That's it.
It's the people.
Of course.
Julia needs to convince
her guests to evacuate.
She wouldn't abandon them.
She wouldn't leave
until she'd got everyone out.
[Julia] My dear friends,
please, listen to me carefully.
It's not safe to stay here.
We must leave
as soon as possible.
So, please, try to collect
only those things
that are necessary
for a journey, please.
I know you're scared, but this
is only going to get worse.
[Cassius] Hold on.
[Julia] What?
[Cassius] You, you expect us
to go out into that?
[Julia] Cassius.
[Cassius] Are you mad?
Do you really think the goddess
Isis is going to protect us
after your pathetic offerings?
Huh?
It's death out there.
She can't protect us!
A woman?
No.
I'm staying right here. Mmm?
The rest of you,
do what you like.
[Guest] I think we should stay.
[Amalthea] No, no, come on.
[Guest] It'll be fine.
We're safe here.
[Julia] Of course,
you're my guest, Cassius.
♪
[Tom] It's hopeless.
People are running,
fighting amongst themselves.
You heard her.
It's not safe to stay.
People are making
the wrong decisions
when they should be working
together to evacuate.
It's just self-preservation.
They're out for themselves.
Just as the Praetorian said.
[Helvia] They'll
send more boats.
I'm sure there
will be more boats.
[indistinct shouting]
[Townsperson]
The sun is disappearing!
The sun has gone!
♪
♪
[Tom] So, Chris,
what's happening now?
[Chris] This is now phase 4
of the eruption.
The eruption column now
becomes so vast, so dense
that it was actually stopping
sunlight reaching Herculaneum,
Pompeii, well,
the whole Bay of Naples.
It turned day to night.
[Tom] Phase 4.
Eclipse.
♪
♪
♪
♪
♪
This is how Pliny describes
being inside the ash cloud.
"Darkness fell,
not like a moonless
or cloudy night,
but like a closed room when
the light is extinguished."
♪
♪
♪
[baby crying]
[screaming]
You could hear
the howls of women,
the wailing of babies,
and the shouts of men.
Some were calling
for their children,
some for their parents,
some for their spouses,
trying to recognize
their voices.
[Julia] Hear me, Isis,
come to me.
Lady of the flame,
I pray to you,
I beg you, I beseech you.
Isis, save us.
[Tom] "There were some in their
fear of dying, begged for death.
"Many raised their hands
to the gods.
"Still more concluded
there were no gods left,
an everlasting night
had descended on the Earth.”
♪
♪
"In this darkness,
on your own
"the swirl of ash
and smoke in the air,
"the constant cracking
from deep in the earth,
"rocks raining down on you,
how do you
find your way in this?"
[Avianius] Mum?
♪
Mum, please.
Mum?
Where are you?
Mum!
♪
[Tom] I've reached
a point in the story
that I really wanted to avoid.
And that's the story
of those tragic plaster casts,
the plaster casts
of the people of Pompeii
who were frozen in death.
The thing about those casts
is they're not recreations
of human shapes.
They are human shapes.
They're people.
Maybe I was naive.
How can I avoid the truth?
[Avianius sobbing]
[Avianius sobbing]
Maybe the story of Pompeii
is only a story
of death, after all.
And how,
how does anyone,
how does Avianius,
survive that?
[Tom] Sarita, is this
where their story ends?
[Sarita] Well, even
in the heat of an emergency,
people are capable
of engaging
in what we call
pro-social behavior.
[Tom] Pro-social behavior?
[Sarita] Yes.
So, we see people helping
and supporting each other,
rescuing each other--
friends, family,
or even total strangers.
[Tom] They rescue one another?
[Sarita] Yes.
[Townsperson]
Get away from my boat!
[Helvia] Please,
listen to me. Listen.
[Townsperson] That's my boat!
It's mine!
[Helvia] Stop!
Please!
[Sarita] And there is
something else, Tom.
[Tom] Okay.
[Sarita] There are some people
who will know how to respond.
[Tom] And who are they?
[Sarita] Those that have
had specific training.
[Helvia] Please! Please!
[Tom] So, an experienced
soldier might know?
[Sarita] Exactly.
[Tom] Well, they have one.
[Townsperson] Aah!
[Helvia] No! [screams]
[Praetorian] Hello, rich lady.
[Sarita] It's what the military
calls skills and drills,
which means that they
can take the decisive,
unemotional,
and effective action
that's needed
to get people to safety.
[Helvia] We have
to do something.
You're a Praetorian.
They'll listen to you.
[indistinct shouting]
[Townsperson] Too many people.
[Praetorian]
Right, listen to me.
[shouting and arguing]
Listen to me.
Listen to me!
[shouting and arguing]
Enough!
Enough now! Listen to me!
Everyone needs to work together.
Women and children,
form lines to my left, quickly.
Experienced sailors, prepare
the boats, keel lamps lit.
Men, start loading people
as fast as you can.
Rich lady, I need a head count.
Do we have any doctors?
[Doctor] I am.
[Praetorian] Good.
Everyone is getting
off this beach.
Come on. There's
no time to waste.
Come on!
[Tom] Okay, so the people on
the beach have the Praetorian,
but no one's coming
to save Avianius, are they?
[Sarita] Well, not necessarily.
There's one thing
that my research has shown,
and that's across the world,
throughout time
and in every culture,
every crisis imaginable,
mums, mums will go
and look for their kids.
♪
[Claudia] Avi?
Avi?
Avi?
Avi?
Avi?
Avi?
Avi?
Avi?
[Avianius] Mum?
[Claudia] Avi?
[Avianius] Mum!
[Claudia] Avi!
[Avianius] Mum?
[Claudia] Avi?
Avi?
Avi!
♪
♪
♪
Ah.
[sobbing]
[Tom] She's got him.
[Claudia] I've got you.
[Avianius] Mum, I,
I'm sorry for what I said,
and everything's my fault.
[Claudia] No, no. Love, you
don't need to say a thing, okay?
None of that matters.
We're together. Okay?
Come. It's not safe here.
Let's go.
Okay. Go, go, go.
♪
♪
[Tom] So maybe it isn't
the Roman fleet after all.
Maybe I've been looking
in the wrong place all along.
It isn't Rome to the rescue,
it's the people.
They rescue each other.
[Helvia] Everyone,
if you can form lines.
[Praetorian]
Come on, quickly, quickly.
[Townsperson] Let's go.
Quickly. Quickly. Come on now.
[Helvia] Let's get you
to the front.
We'll get you on the first boat.
[baby crying]
[indistinct shouting]
[Praetorian]
Right, how close are we?
[Townsperson]
The first boat's nearly ready.
We're going as fast as we can.
[Praetorian] How long?
[Townsperson] 10 minutes.
[Praetorian] Make it five.
[Townsperson] Yes, sir.
[Praetorian] Don't let up.
Everyone, listen up.
Get ready to start
boarding the boats.
[Tom] Darius.
[Darius] Yeah.
[Tom] Question.
Does the evacuation work?
[Darius] Well, there's
another piece of information
you need to know.
[Tom] Okay.
[Darius] Unlike Pompeii, a city
filled with casts of all those,
you know, bodies of people.
[Tom] Yeah.
[Darius] When they
excavate Herculaneum,
a city of approximately
5,000 people, up in the city,
they basically
don't find any bodies.
[Tom] So, something did happen
on this beach, right?
[Darius] There does
seem to have been
some sort of attempt
of an evacuation.
[Helvia] Next group,
keep moving forward.
[Praetorian]
Into the boats! Hurry!
That's it. Another two full.
Get them gone. Now!
[Helvia] We've got
the next group ready.
[Praetorian] Keep them coming.
[Helvia] Keep coming, everyone.
Keep coming.
[Townsperson] Boat's full.
[Praetorian] Boat's full.
Go, go go!
[Townsperson]
Three, two, one, heave!
[Praetorian] Next group, get up.
Quickly but orderly.
[Helvia] Come now.
[Praetorian] Into the boats,
fast as you can.
Hurry, hurry.
[Tom] It's working.
They're all finally getting out.
They might just make it.
But what about Julia?
It's got to be now or never.
[Julia] Can we talk, Cassius?
[Cassius] I told you, woman,
I'm staying right here.
[Julia] I'm afraid you are not.
[Cassius] Oh.
I'm afraid that I am.
[Julia] Your bill.
[Cassius] What?
[Julia] Your bill.
You haven't paid your bill
since when, Amalthea?
[Amalthea] A month.
[Julia] Right. A month.
[Cassius] Now is not
the time for this.
[Julia] I gave you fair warning.
[Cassius] I, I,
I was going to pay it.
[Julia] It's too late, Cassius.
You're past due,
and now you have to leave.
Actually, you all have to leave.
[Guest] What? What?
[Julia] We are officially
closed for business, right?
[Cassius] Oh, I see.
You're going to, uh, hoard
all the supplies for yourselves.
[Amalthea] No.
They're coming with us.
Let's go.
Let's go.
[Guest] Let's go.
[Julia] We are leaving Pompeii!
[Cassius] Impossible, woman.
♪
[explosion]
[Claudia] Okay, we're leaving
in one minute, Avi.
[Tom] There's one more line
from Pliny's letter
[Livia] Get some water.
[Tom] that I'd like
to read to you.
“The fortunate man is he to whom
the gods have granted the power
to do something
which is worth recording.”
I think the people on the beach
that day, whoever they were,
did something that
was worth recording.
And here we are,
2,000 years later,
telling their story,
witnessing their actions,
acknowledging and understanding
their humanity.
We don't know their names.
But this is their legacy,
a legacy of survival.
[watch beeping]
[bell rings]
[clock ticking]
[clock ticking]
♪
[Praetorian] Everyone,
into the boat sheds.
Now!
[bell rings]
[clock ticking]
♪
♪
♪
♪
♪
♪
♪
♪
♪
♪
♪
♪
♪