Angela
Elite member
- Messages
- 21,823
- Reaction score
- 12,329
- Points
- 113
- Ethnic group
- Italian
See:
https://www.thelocal.it/20170720/po...cient-rome-slaves-women-vesuvius-social-media
It ranges all the way from "I was here" to reviews of food, women, stats of various gladiators, declarations of love, scoldings for bad behavior, and scurrilous, vulgar and sexual jokes of all kinds. Italy hasn't changed all that much in this one regard, rather unfortunately I might add.
It highlights, as the authors point out, the depth of literacy in Roman Italy at that time, since women, slaves, lower class artisans, could read and write, at least in Vulgar Latin. Remarkable that so much could have been forgotten in so little time.
It also shows that the private was public in Rome. You lived your life, showed your emotions, on the street. Perhaps the internet chat rooms, social media, are the current equivalent.
There's a whole collection of them. I love this kind of stuff from history.
"I.7.1 (in the vestibule of the House of Cuspius Pansa); 8075: The finances officer of the emperor Nero says this food is poison
I.7.8 (bar; left of the door); 8162: We two dear men, friends forever, were here. If you want to know our names, they are Gaius and Aulus.
I.10.2-3 (Bar of Prima); 8258, 8259: The story of Successus, Severus and Iris is played out on the walls of a bar: [Severus]: “Successus, a weaver, loves the innkeeper’s slave girl named Iris. She, however, does not love him. Still, he begs her to have pity on him. His rival wrote this. Goodbye.”. [Answer by Successus]: “Envious one, why do you get in the way. Submit to a handsomer man and one who is being treated very wrongly and good looking.” [Answer by Severus]: “I have spoken. I have written all there is to say. You love Iris, but she does not love you.”
I.10.2-3 (Bar of Prima); 8297: Word square
I.10.4 (near the rear entrance vestibule of the House of Menander); 8356: At Nuceria, look for Novellia Primigenia near the Roman gate in the prostitute’s district.
I.10.4 (exterior of the House of Menander); 8304: Satura was here on September 3rd
I.10.7 (House and Office of Volusius Iuvencus; left of the door); 8364: Secundus says hello to his Prima, wherever she is. I ask, my mistress, that you love me."
It gets a lot more scurrilous, vulgar, and graphic unfortunately.
People really haven't changed in the last 2000 years.
See: http://www.pompeiana.org/Resources/Ancient/Graffiti from Pompeii.htm
https://www.thelocal.it/20170720/po...cient-rome-slaves-women-vesuvius-social-media
It ranges all the way from "I was here" to reviews of food, women, stats of various gladiators, declarations of love, scoldings for bad behavior, and scurrilous, vulgar and sexual jokes of all kinds. Italy hasn't changed all that much in this one regard, rather unfortunately I might add.
It highlights, as the authors point out, the depth of literacy in Roman Italy at that time, since women, slaves, lower class artisans, could read and write, at least in Vulgar Latin. Remarkable that so much could have been forgotten in so little time.
It also shows that the private was public in Rome. You lived your life, showed your emotions, on the street. Perhaps the internet chat rooms, social media, are the current equivalent.
There's a whole collection of them. I love this kind of stuff from history.
"I.7.1 (in the vestibule of the House of Cuspius Pansa); 8075: The finances officer of the emperor Nero says this food is poison
I.7.8 (bar; left of the door); 8162: We two dear men, friends forever, were here. If you want to know our names, they are Gaius and Aulus.
I.10.2-3 (Bar of Prima); 8258, 8259: The story of Successus, Severus and Iris is played out on the walls of a bar: [Severus]: “Successus, a weaver, loves the innkeeper’s slave girl named Iris. She, however, does not love him. Still, he begs her to have pity on him. His rival wrote this. Goodbye.”. [Answer by Successus]: “Envious one, why do you get in the way. Submit to a handsomer man and one who is being treated very wrongly and good looking.” [Answer by Severus]: “I have spoken. I have written all there is to say. You love Iris, but she does not love you.”
I.10.2-3 (Bar of Prima); 8297: Word square
| R | O | M | A |
| O | L | I | M |
| M | I | L | O |
| A | M | O | R |
I.10.4 (near the rear entrance vestibule of the House of Menander); 8356: At Nuceria, look for Novellia Primigenia near the Roman gate in the prostitute’s district.
I.10.4 (exterior of the House of Menander); 8304: Satura was here on September 3rd
I.10.7 (House and Office of Volusius Iuvencus; left of the door); 8364: Secundus says hello to his Prima, wherever she is. I ask, my mistress, that you love me."
It gets a lot more scurrilous, vulgar, and graphic unfortunately.
People really haven't changed in the last 2000 years.
See: http://www.pompeiana.org/Resources/Ancient/Graffiti from Pompeii.htm