Mephitis

(Mefitis) Roman A goddess who protected the people of Rome and surrounding cities in Italy from the dangerous fumes of sulphur that spewed from the many volcanoes and the gaseous vents surrounding them. People believed that these fumes caused illness and plagues, as well as damage to their homes and cities, and called upon Mephitis to protect them from these evils. She became more commonly known as the goddess of plagues. A temple in her honor stood on the Esquiline Hill in Rome. Volcanic eruptions were, and still are, a prominent threat to the people of Italy. Mount Vesuvius, which overlooks the Bay of Naples, erupted in a famous explosion in a.d. 79, destroying Pompeii andHerculaneum. It had been more mildly active for hundreds of years before then, frequently spewing sulfur and other gases into the atmosphere. Mount Etna (Aetna), on the island of Sicily off the tip of the Italian peninsula, was very active during the classical era of Rome. Mount Stromboli, on an island north of Sicily, has been active for more than 2,000 years, spewing forth gases in frequent explosions.