The Alban Hills caldera, right outside Rome, had multiple Krakatoa-sized eruptions (strong VE7, 280 km^3 of ejecta) about 400,000 years ago. Just handwave a fresh one in classical times.
The Alban Hills caldera, right outside Rome, had multiple Krakatoa-sized eruptions (strong VE7, 280 km^3 of ejecta) about 400,000 years ago. Just handwave a fresh one in classical times.
A way to do it would be to have Rome being founded the way it was, but the capital moving to Pomeii at some point, preferably early enough that Pompeii can reach Rome-size before the eruption.
The Alban Hills caldera, right outside Rome, had multiple Krakatoa-sized eruptions (strong VE7, 280 km^3 of ejecta) about 400,000 years ago. Just handwave a fresh one in classical times.
If not only the top of Vesuv had exploded but the whole Pflegrean fields erupted the doom of Rome would have been the consequence.Well, conglaturation. You've managed to put the Doom of Valyria into our world, now with a much shorter Roman imprint on the European continent (Gaul and Brittania in particular) than IOTL
Path of least resistance, they'd probably just blame the current emperor and his relatives, so the Flavian dynasty is out and Romans regroup at a nearby city while trying to fight rebellious provinces.Rome is founded at Rome. The Alban Caldera blows, covers the city in ash, lots of people dead, etc. THEN, they move the capital to Pompeii, rename it "Nova Roma", get settled, and Vesuvius blows - city covered in ash, lots of people dead, yadda yadda yadda. And then, either:
- Everybody thinks Rome is cursed, they blame the Christians - Christianity is reviled more than ever and remains an underground, secret religion
- Everybody thinks Rome is cursed, think the Christians might be onto something. Earlier, more widespread adoption of Christianity (maybe focusing on the Apocalyptic aspects and/or rebirth aspects?)
- Everybody thinks Rome is cursed, and they blame the Emperor. Rome goes back to being a Republic
Rome is founded at Rome. The Alban Caldera blows, covers the city in ash, lots of people dead, etc. THEN, they move the capital to Pompeii, rename it "Nova Roma", get settled, and Vesuvius blows - city covered in ash, lots of people dead, yadda yadda yadda.
A refounded Roman capital in Crete will be safe from volcanoes."Screw this, we're moving to Iceland. Take that, volcanoes!"