In ancient Greece 2600 years ago, the lyric poet Sappho (ca. 630 BC–ca. 570 BC) composed verses that are still celebrated today. A Sappho fragment known as “The Midnight Poem” features intriguing references to the moon and to the Pleiades star cluster. What season of the year matches Sappho’s description of the Pleiades? Sappho must be referring to what lunar phase? A disaster befell residents of Pompeii in 79 AD, when a massive eruption of the volcano Vesuvius buried the city in rocks and ash. Modern excavations revealed on the walls colorful paintings that had remained hidden and preserved for centuries, along with a rich trove of inscriptions. “Nothing Can Last Forever” is the title of an evocative poem discovered on a wall at Pompeii. This text is of special interest to astronomers because of the way it references the sun and the moon.