Introduction
On August 24th, 70, Mount Vesuvius on the Bay of Naples began to erupt. Pliny, a nine-year-old boy doing his homework in nearby Miseno, watched his uncle Pliny, the admiral, sail off to the disaster zone; later he learnt that Uncle Pliny had parted from the other boats to go and rescue Senator Pomponianus in Stabiae.
EMBRACING him [Senator Pomponianus] with tenderness, he encouraged and exhorted him to keep up his spirits. The more to dissipate his fears, he ordered his servants, with an air of unconcern, to carry him to the baths; and after having bathed, he sat down to supper with great, or at least (what is equally heroic) with all the appearance of cheerfulness.
In the meanwhile, the fire from Vesuvius flamed forth from several parts of the mountain with great violence, which the darkness of the night contributed to render still more visible and dreadful. But my uncle, in order to calm the apprehensions of his friend, assured him it was only the conflagration of the villages, which the country people had abandoned: after this, he retired to rest, and it is most certain, he was so little discomposed as to fall into a deep sleep; for, being corpulent, and breathing hard, the attendants in the antichamber actually heard him snore.
Précis
In August 70, Pliny the Elder, a Roman admiral, went to help evacuate those fleeing the eruption of Vesuvius. His nephew Pliny, then about nine, later recalled how the admiral had gone to the house of Senator Pomponius, perilously close to the volcano, and tried to spread a little calm, even taking a relaxing bath before going comfortably to bed. (60 / 60 words)
In August 70, Pliny the Elder, a Roman admiral, went to help evacuate those fleeing the eruption of Vesuvius. His nephew Pliny, then about nine, later recalled how the admiral had gone to the house of Senator Pomponius, perilously close to the volcano, and tried to spread a little calm, even taking a relaxing bath before going comfortably to bed.
Variations: 1.increase the length of this precis to exactly 65 words. 2.reduce the length of this precis to exactly 55 words. 3.introduce one of the following words into the precis: despite, if, may, must, or, otherwise, since, who.
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