Graffiti From Pompeii - Neatorama

The Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum is a behemoth publication spanning 17 volumes in about 70 parts that record about 180,000 Latin inscriptions from Roman times, ranging from official scripts to lowly graffiti hastily etched on the walls of toilets and brothels.

Graffiti from Pompeii has culled some of the juiciest morsels, showing us that, indeed, the art of graffiti is a lost one:

V.5 (just outside the Vesuvius gate); 6641: Defecator, may everything turn out okay so that you can leave this place
I.2.20 (Bar/Brothel of Innulus and Papilio); 3932: Weep, you girls. My penis has given you up. Now it penetrates men’s behinds. Goodbye, wondrous femininity!
VIII.2 (in the basilica); 1820: Chie, I hope your hemorrhoids rub together so much that they hurt worse than when they every have before!

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Previously on Neatorama: 10 Insulting Words You Should Know

Comments (7)

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I remember this from a Greco-Roman archaeology class.

Also, phallus-signs throughout Mediterranean cities directed sailors to brothels. No literacy was needed.

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Pompeii is an amazing place and a must see for anyone visiting Naples or Sorrento.

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I visited Pompeii with my HS Latin teacher and the whole class spent a couple of hours just translating graffiti. It was tons of fun and a highlight of my trip.

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I'm vising Pompeii in September! I'll have to take this list of graffiti so I can translate it for the other tourists. lol

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This one caught my eye: "The one who buggers a fire burns his penis". I'll certainly bear that in mind from now on :)

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Unless something has changed in the last year or so, research suggests that caffeine is very poorly absorbed by the skin and mouth. A dose of caffeine applied there equivalent to several cups of coffee will result in a dose insignificant compared to a single cup of coffee. The effects of things like caffeinated soap have been attributed to other awakening components like peppermint oil (oh look, the toothpaste says it is mintier than normal toothpaste), and placebo effect, which works quite well with perceived alertness.

At least in principle, since this is not fluoridated, you could eat it to get some of the caffeine...

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