I Survived the Destruction of Pompeii, AD 79: Chapters 1–7

by Lauren Tarshis
In this tenth book of the historical fiction I Survived series, eleven-year-old Marcus, trying to escape his life as a slave in the Roman Empire, is halfway up Mount Vesuvius, when he hears rumbles and hisses.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–7, Chapters 8–16
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. loom
    appear very large or occupy a commanding position
    Nobody yet knew that the mountain Vesuvius, which loomed over the city, was actually a deadly volcano.
  2. magma
    molten rock in the earth's crust
    It was impossible to imagine what lurked under the ground—rivers of boiling magma, swirls of poisonous gases.
  3. devastating
    wreaking or capable of wreaking complete destruction
    Any moment, the mountain would erupt with devastating fury.
  4. billowing
    characterized by great swelling waves or surges
    Black, billowing smoke and ash gushed out of the mountain’s gaping mouth.
  5. gape
    be wide open
    Black, billowing smoke and ash gushed out of the mountain’s gaping mouth.
  6. sift
    check and sort carefully
    It was early afternoon, and the street was packed with people—shoppers sifting through bins of pomegranates and melons, weary slaves collecting water from the fountains, beggars holding out their grimy hands.
  7. weary
    physically and mentally fatigued
    It was early afternoon, and the street was packed with people—shoppers sifting through bins of pomegranates and melons, weary slaves collecting water from the fountains, beggars holding out their grimy hands.
  8. ragged
    being or dressed in clothes that are worn or torn
    It was broiling hot and his ragged tunic was soaked in sweat.
  9. mosaic
    design made of small pieces of colored stone or glass
    For days they’d been scrubbing the villa so that the mosaic floors shined like diamonds, so that every silver bowl and goblet gleamed.
  10. gorge
    overeat or eat immodestly
    The guests would lounge on silken couches and gorge themselves until they threw up...and then, their stomachs empty, they would eat more.
  11. amphitheater
    an oval large stadium with tiers of seats
    Tomorrow, Festus would take them all to the gladiator fight at Pompeii’s amphitheater.
  12. spectacle
    an elaborate and remarkable display on a lavish scale
    People were coming from all over to see the spectacle, which featured Pompeii’s champion fighter.
  13. tremor
    a small earthquake
    But these tremors spooked him. For weeks they’d been shaking the city, putting cracks in the walls of Festus’s villa, sending his spoiled dogs into fits of howling.
  14. gruel
    a thin porridge
    Festus fed his slaves nothing but watery gruel and old cheese.
  15. haggle
    wrangle, as over a price or terms of an agreement
    Even now, shoppers were already back to haggling for bargains.
  16. tattered
    worn to shreds; or wearing torn or ragged clothing
    She was a beggar, it seemed, her tunic stained and tattered, her bare feet crusted with sores.
  17. gnarled
    old and twisted and covered in lines
    The woman took the apple in one of her gnarled hands.
  18. despise
    look down on with disdain or disgust
    Linus himself had always despised Festus, and the nephew wasted no time destroying his uncle’s happy home.
  19. blare
    make a strident sound
    His thoughts carried Marcus far away, until a blaring trumpet yanked him back.
  20. stout
    fairly large
    A band of horn players followed, and then acrobats and jugglers, and finally, a stout man with a leering smile.
  21. respectable
    deserving of esteem
    Owning gladiators was a dirty business; no respectable person would do it.
  22. wretched
    deserving or inciting pity
    These were the wretched souls who would be thrown into the arena with Cyclops tomorrow. None of them had a chance against Cyclops. By tomorrow afternoon, they’d all be dead.
  23. dignity
    the quality of being worthy of esteem or respect
    He walked slowly, with dignity.
  24. bellow
    shout loudly and without restraint
    Then the lanista looked to the crowd. “What do you think?” he bellowed. “A father and son against Cyclops!”
  25. stagger
    walk as if unable to control one's movements
    Marcus staggered back. He lost his balance and fell, smacking his head on the stone curb.
  26. ember
    a hot, smoldering fragment of wood left from a fire
    And that speck of hope—a tiny glowing ember—had been everything to him.
  27. gutter
    a channel at the edge of a street for carrying off surface water
    Marcus lay back in the gutter, closing his eyes.
  28. shackle
    restrain with or as if with fetters
    Marcus had heard that the fighters were locked in dark cells, their arms and legs shackled, until it was time to fight.
  29. cunning
    marked by skill in deception
    Odysseus wasn’t the strongest man. But he was cunning.
  30. ingenious
    showing inventiveness and skill
    He came up with the ingenious idea of building a giant wooden horse with a hollow belly.
  31. rummage
    search haphazardly
    The idea flashed into Marcus’s mind, and before he could talk himself out of it, he had ripped the sack open and was rummaging through Festus’s clothes.
  32. drape
    position or let hang casually
    Marcus fought back his nausea as he wrapped the endless stretch of fabric around his body, finally draping the loose end over his shoulder.
  33. flimsy
    lacking solidity or strength
    He could feel the snake hissing ferociously, banging its body against the sides of the flimsy basket.
  34. rein
    one of a pair of long straps used to control a horse
    Tata grabbed the reins and soothed the horse while Marcus climbed on.
  35. mare
    an adult female horse
    Closing his eyes, he imagined that this old white mare was the winged horse Pegasus, and that they were soaring through the clouds.
Created on Tue Oct 24 17:56:47 EDT 2023 (updated Fri Oct 27 12:23:57 EDT 2023)

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