Surprisingly modern graffiti from the walls of Pompeii

http://pompeiana.org/Resources/Ancient/Graffiti%20from%20Pompeii.htm

by willwhitney • 14 years ago

11 6 14 years ago

tborg• 14 years ago

What do you think is modern about the language? Try Aristophanes.

That said, this is a cool collection. I think it would benefit from more interesting presentation, in terms of web design. Also, a more modern / freer translation technique might suit the content better than the stilted rendition offered here.

griffindy2• 14 years ago

as a classics majors, I love running across these things, and I'm especially glad to see it on HN, though I agree with tborg that both the presentation and translations could be more up to date. something to work on if I'm bored tomorrow. Now I just need to find the Latin

sopooneo• 14 years ago

How were these words applied to walls? Did vandals have to walk around with a paint bucket and brush? Was it carved out? Or perhaps walls were finished with some sort of wet plaster and people had a short window of time to write in it with their fingers?

griffindy2• 14 years ago

as far as I remember, it was all paint. they would go around at night with buckets of red paint and write, sometimes over other words, it could be a mess. only because Pompei was so frozen in time did the paint not wear away

toomuchcoffee• 14 years ago

"Modern?" They were way ahead of us.

Ergomane• 14 years ago

The inscription in I.7.1 - 8075 translated here as: "The finances officer of the emperor Nero says this food is poison" is in latin "CVCVTA AB RATIONI[B]VS NERONIS AVGVSTI".

An alternative, sarcastic, translation has been proposed: Poison is Nero's secretary of finance.

Surprisingly modern graffiti from the walls of Pompeii

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