A document purporting to be a new translation of four of Pliny the Younger’s letters to Tacitus, outlining the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 A.D. and the subsequent banishment of both Plinies, with notes by the translator. This is a submission for the Spring 2013 Historical Fiction smackdown, round 4. The theme this round was ALTERNATE HISTORY, so a big chunk of the described events never happened. PLEASE do not assume that anything you read here is historically accurate – though much of it is, much of it is not! Words: 2830 Time period: Ancient Rome Video Selected: ‘Pompeii’