We all know the ill-fated city of Pompeii, and the horrors of the period in which Mount Vesuvius erupted. The city and its neighbor–Herculaneum–were destroyed over the course of a few days of hellfire.
The city was primarily a summer home for ancient socialites. And when Vesuvius erupted, many stayed in the city to help others instead of fleeing. Even though Pompeii was crushed, the tragedy left us a well preserved glimpse into the life of the city.
Based on what the citizens left etched into walls, they weren’t too different from us.
Any time you go into a public bathroom today, you’re bound to see some typical graffiti. A penis, a tag, insults, really anything someone wanted to leave.
Turns out that Pompeii’s public spaces were used the same way. And those ancients were downright sassy! So, without further ado: here is some ancient Pompeii graffiti.
Here Are A Choice Few
“If anyone sits here, let him read this first of all: if anyone wants a screw, he should look for Attice; she costs 4 sestertii.”
The ancient version of “Call Jessica For A Good Time!” This little advertisement was found near the marina near the brothel district. Seems that lucky sailor got his money’s worth while visiting Pompeii!
“Secundus defecated here” was written three times on one wall, and that was only in one bathroom. Secundus may have been a popular name, or researchers found one man’s favorite place to spend some alone time.
And Secundus wasn’t the only one who liked to write about bowel movements:
“Defector, may everything turn out okay so you may leave this place.” Can be found alongside a gate. And I for one do hope everything went smoothly for whoever wrote it.
But, there are also sweet messages left around Pompeii. There are love letters, old friends coming back together, advertisements, and my personal favorite: “On April 19th, I made bread.”
And Then There Are the Typical Pompeii Graffiti That We Can All Relate To:
“Satura was here on September 3rd
Atimetus got me pregnant
Phileros is a eunuch!”
And Pompeii graffiti shared pieces of wisdom from long ago.
“The one who buggers a fire burns his penis” was found written in the basilica.
To take a peek at more Pompeii graffiti, you can check out an official list here.
Do you ever feel as dehydrated as Pompeiian fossils? Try the HidrateMe smart water bottle.
Ancient Pompeii Graffiti Shows We Were Not so Different
No comments:
Post a Comment