Chapter 1
The voices on Roman walls
Chapter 2
Gladiators beyond the arena
Chapter 3
The truth about Roman dining
Chapter 4
Hygiene and the Roman bathroom
YOUR GOAL
Master of Strange Roman daily life
Ch 1 · The voices on Roman walls
misslily The voices on Roman walls
Lead: Pompeii was writing on the wall! Echo: (Yeah, writing on the wall!) Lead: Before they had a phone to text! Echo: (Who's posting next?) Lead: They left a review of the tavern food! Echo: (In a petty mood!)
misslily The voices on Roman walls
We carved our gossip and our love upon the stone, Posting on the walls long before the telephone.
misslily Professional sign-writers painted endorsements on walls to help candidates win local Roman elections.
misslily Roman graffiti included romantic declarations, petty insults, and complaints about local businesses.
Fun Fact
Pompeii graffiti: One famous wall inscription in Pompeii hilariously complains about how many people had written on that exact wall.
Glossary
graffiti (noun)
Writings or drawings scratched or scribbled on a wall or other public surface. The eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE preserved thousands of these ancient messages in Pompeii.
Writings or drawings scratched or scribbled on a wall or other public surface. The eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE preserved thousands of these ancient messages in Pompeii.
Quiz
What was the main tool used by Romans to scratch informal graffiti onto plaster walls?