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These 30 Quotes From Ancient Pompeii Graffiti Prove Just How Little We Changed Over 2000 Years
If you thought that modern-day teenagers invented graffiti and inappropriate depictions of private male parts on walls - think again. Just recently, archaeologists found a 1,800-year-old drawing of penis near Hadrian's Wall which proved once again that some things just never change. Asides from these cheeky drawings, scholars are documenting ancient graffiti and writings on the walls. They began making copies of Latin inscriptions throughout the ancient Roman world, including Pompeii, in the late 1800s. Sadly, today, more than 90 percent of Pompeii's graffiti has been lost due to exposure to the elements. However, thanks to the 19th century scholars and translators, we have a beautiful list of funny, cheeky and bold wall inscriptions dating back to 2,000 years ago.
More info: Pompeiana
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Weep, you girls. My penis has given you up. Now it penetrates men’s behinds. Goodbye, wondrous femininity!
If anyone does not believe in Venus, they should gaze at my girl friend
On April 19th, I made bread
Theophilus, don’t perform oral sex on girls against the city wall like a dog
Vibius Restitutus slept here alone and missed his darling Urbana
A small problem gets larger if you ignore it.
This or: "Most problems solve themselves - just leave them alone" Which one is true? :/
To the one defecating here. Beware of the curse. If you look down on this curse, may you have an angry Jupiter for an enemy.
O walls, you have held up so much tedious graffiti that I am amazed that you have not already collapsed in ruin.
"Oh Brother-in-law, why did you give that awful double flute toy to my baby!? What have I ever done to hurt you?"
Chie, I hope your hemorrhoids rub together so much that they hurt worse than when they every have before!
I don’t want to sell my husband, not for all the gold in the world
We two dear men, friends forever, were here. If you want to know our names, they are Gaius and Aulus.
A copper pot went missing from my shop. Anyone who returns it to me will be given 65 bronze coins (sestertii). 20 more will be given for information leading to the capture of the thief.
I screwed a lot of girls here.
(Below a drawing of a man with a large nose) Amplicatus, I know that Icarus is buggering you. Salvius wrote this.
Celadus the Thracian gladiator is the delight of all the girls
The man I am having dinner with is a barbarian.
Epaphra, you are bald!
Defecator, may everything turn out okay so that you can leave this place.
Apollinaris, the doctor of the emperor Titus, defecated well here
You know, 2000 years ago they had crappy sense of humour.
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....Defecated well?....That mean Apollinaris would leave a huge steamy pile or did he leave coins in it for cleanup?
I can imagine walking in Pompeii dodging poo in the street. Don't they realize they need to have a proper place for that?
They had public latrines back then, this graffiti could be from there
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Ah, he did a good job then? He makes everyone's street-shits look bad by comparison!?
Samius to Cornelius: go hang yourself!
Secundus defecated here three times on one wall.
Aufidius was here. Goodbye.
Cruel Lalagus, why do you not love me?
Virgula to her friend Tertius: you are disgusting!
Stronius Stronnius knows nothing!
Whoever wants to serve themselves can go on an drink from the sea.
Some of these were left by grown women and men. I encourage you to look for a few articles and videos that dive a little deeper into the original Latin and how they traced a few of these back to actual people (with more info on those people). I felt the same way a few years ago until I did a deep-dive myself. These articles here are never meant to inform, just to gather likes and comments.
Load More Replies... A graffiti from England: "My mother made me a homosexual" and written underneath "If I get her the wool (yarn) will she make me one too?"
I HAVE to ask... Is this really real? Because I can help but smell a troll. Because if ... If those who made the images... And then added captions... And that's their real translations.... Well... that means MEMES were invented ovER 2000 YEARS AGO! AND THAT MEANS POMPEII WAS THE ORIGINAL SOURCE FOR MILLENIALS!!!
They're as real as they can get! You can read the whole NSFW list here - http://www.pompeiana.org/Resources/Ancient/Graffiti%20from%20Pompeii.htm
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For one of the wealthiest and most powerful empires of its time, people sure did s**t wherever they damn well pleased.
and the cities were filthy and malarial. Really, dying young was not hard.
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Everyone seems shocked by all the poop graffiti.....remember it was graffiti not ancient lit. ;)
Where are the inscriptions? I would like to see them... it's difficult to believe what you show here without proves.
Watch Mary Beard--she reads Latin fluently, and there's a whole series where she goes around reading all the tomb engravings.
Could the citizens counsel please do something about all these annoying ashes?
I read in grade school that the following was found on a wall in Pompeii: "Everyone writes on the walls except me". That was when I realized that modern humans did NOT start when TV was invented, as I had previously thought.
Some of these were left by grown women and men. I encourage you to look for a few articles and videos that dive a little deeper into the original Latin and how they traced a few of these back to actual people (with more info on those people). I felt the same way a few years ago until I did a deep-dive myself. These articles here are never meant to inform, just to gather likes and comments.
Load More Replies... A graffiti from England: "My mother made me a homosexual" and written underneath "If I get her the wool (yarn) will she make me one too?"
I HAVE to ask... Is this really real? Because I can help but smell a troll. Because if ... If those who made the images... And then added captions... And that's their real translations.... Well... that means MEMES were invented ovER 2000 YEARS AGO! AND THAT MEANS POMPEII WAS THE ORIGINAL SOURCE FOR MILLENIALS!!!
They're as real as they can get! You can read the whole NSFW list here - http://www.pompeiana.org/Resources/Ancient/Graffiti%20from%20Pompeii.htm
Load More Replies... For one of the wealthiest and most powerful empires of its time, people sure did s**t wherever they damn well pleased.
and the cities were filthy and malarial. Really, dying young was not hard.
Load More Replies... Everyone seems shocked by all the poop graffiti.....remember it was graffiti not ancient lit. ;)
Where are the inscriptions? I would like to see them... it's difficult to believe what you show here without proves.
Watch Mary Beard--she reads Latin fluently, and there's a whole series where she goes around reading all the tomb engravings.
Could the citizens counsel please do something about all these annoying ashes?
I read in grade school that the following was found on a wall in Pompeii: "Everyone writes on the walls except me". That was when I realized that modern humans did NOT start when TV was invented, as I had previously thought.
