It was described by Pliny the Younger. Cities were destroyed because of it, including Pompeii, Herculaneum, Oplonti and Stabiae and caused the death of Pliny the Elder among many other people. .
Before the eruption of 79, earthquakes were disregarded by local residents because they had occurred previously and people were familiar with the disaster. Seneca reports that an earthquake occurred on February 5th, 62. (according to Tacitus) or 63 AD. .
The earthquake destroyed Pompeii, created ruins in Herculaneum, and caused other minor damage in Nuceria and Naples, where the emperor Nero was performing in the theatre. .
According to Seneca, the earthquakes lasted for a few days ("non desiit enim assidue fremere Campania") until they weren't as destructive "but still caused great damage". These swarms of earthquakes probably ocurred at a shallow depth in the Vesuvian area, based on the distribution and the area extent of damages. In the last sentences of this writing, Seneca asked himself if this disaster in Campania had not "made every man strengthened and resulted (resolved) against all catastrophes." .
His question was most likely answered 17 years later, when Pliny the Elder rescued the people staying in the area that had been shaken for several days. .
Earlier, Pliny testified, "for several days before (the eruption) the earth had been shaken, but this fact did not cause fear because this was a feature commonly observed in Campania" (praecesserat per multos dies tremor terrae, minus formidolosus quia Campaniae solitus). There were plans for repairs in some houses at Pompeii and Oplonti Villa when the eruption occurred. This can be considered evidence of intensive seismic shaking of the buildings. Dio Cassius (150-235 AD) also reports some precursors of the eruption. He said that for several days before the eruptions, there were many earthquakes and subterranean rumblings and giants wandering on the earth (giants are a common feature associated with earthquakes and volcanic eruptions; Scandone, 1987).