0 9 . ▁Sum mit ▁er u ptions ▁occurred ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 6 , ▁ 2 0 0 7 – 2 0 0 8 , ▁January – A pril ▁ 2 0 1 2 , ▁in ▁July – Oct ober ▁ 2 0 1 2 ▁and ▁again ▁in ▁December ▁ 2 0 1 8 . ▁ ▁The ▁first ▁known ▁record ▁of ▁er u ption ▁at ▁Et na ▁is ▁that ▁of ▁D iod orus ▁S icul us . ▁ ▁In ▁ 3 9 6   BC , ▁an ▁er u ption ▁of ▁Et na ▁reported ly ▁th wart ed ▁the ▁Car th agini ans ▁in ▁their ▁attempt ▁to ▁advance ▁on ▁Sy rac use ▁during ▁the ▁Second ▁Sic ilian ▁War . ▁ ▁A ▁particularly ▁violent ▁explos ive ▁( P lin ian ) ▁sum mit ▁er u ption ▁occurred ▁in ▁ 1 2 2   BC , ▁and ▁caused ▁heavy ▁te ph ra ▁falls ▁to ▁the ▁sout heast , ▁including ▁the ▁town ▁of ▁Cat ania , ▁where ▁many ▁roof s ▁col lapsed . ▁To ▁help ▁with ▁reconst ruction ▁after ▁the ▁dev ast ating ▁effects ▁of ▁the ▁er u ption , ▁the ▁Roman ▁government ▁ex empt ed ▁the ▁population ▁of ▁Cat ania ▁from ▁pay ing ▁tax es ▁for ▁ten ▁years . ▁ ▁The ▁Roman ▁poet ▁Vir g il ▁gave ▁what ▁was ▁probably ▁a ▁first - hand ▁description ▁of ▁an ▁er u ption ▁in ▁the ▁A ene id . ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁first ▁ 1 5 0 0 ▁years ▁AD , ▁many ▁er u ptions ▁went