Some things in life never change. While some may think graffiti is something of the teens of our time, that’s far from the truth. Graffiti has been around for almost a long time in the written language, and graffiti is sometimes a valuable archaeological tool for learning about peoples of old.
Graffiti can provide a better understanding of daily life and attitudes of Romans and other ancient peoples and allow researchers to understand how ordinary people spoke, where they spent their time and how they interacted in these spaces.
Graffiti of the ancient Phoenicians and Aramaeans
Abydos Graffiti In Egypt:
Abydos is one of the oldest cities in ancient Egypt and was once the capital of the kingdom. One of the main attractions today is the Temple of Seti I. This ancient temple was built by Pharaoh Seti I and completed by his son, the great Ramasses II.
But inscribed on its ancient walls is the ancient graffiti of Abydos. This graffiti is an ancient Phoenician and Aramaic graffiti (the Phoenicians were from today’s Lebanon). Much of the graffiti depicts prayers and votive dedications (so perhaps not what one would expect on the streets from today’s teenagers).
- Name: Archaeologically the inscriptions are known as KAI 49, CIS I 99-110 and RES 1302ff.
These inscriptions are particularly significant with regard to the discovery of the graffiti of Abydos, very few Semitic inscriptions had been found in Egypt.
Phoenician graffiti from Abu Simbel:
There are more ancient Phoenician graffiti in Egypt, this time in southern Egypt at the famous rock-cut temples of Abu Simbel. These are the iconic temples that have four giant statues of Pharaoh Ramses II seated and guarding the temples in front.
- Name: The inscriptions are known archaeologically as CIS I 111–113
- Colossal statues of Ramses II: Have a variety of graffiti, including Phoenicians and Greeks
They were first noticed by Jean-Jacques Ampère in 1845 (in fact Richard Lepsius had noticed them two years earlier, but his work was published later). The two inscriptions are on one of the legs of the great Ramses II.
In fact, there is a variety of graffiti on the colossal statues of Ramesses II and much of it is Greek. The best known is a five-line Ionic Greek inscription that mentions both Psamtik I and Amasis II.
What to know about Roman graffiti
Many Roman examples of graffiti have been found (although in archaeological terms graffiti is a mark, image or writing scratched or engraved on a surface). As you might expect, many of them tend to be rude and disparaging like today. They include slurs, phallic images, and various erotic images.
But not all Roman graffiti was to the tune “Lucilla made money with her body” (another example in Pompeii). Much of it was more innocent in nature and was just pictures or games. Other examples of Roman graffiti are today indecipherable.
The formal writing we have of the Roman language was not the way they actually spoke (any more than people today actually speak in the language of a commercial contract.
“The seller hereby undertakes to provide the following services for the event in exchange for financial compensation described below…” – yeah, nobody talks like that.
Roman graffiti from Pompeii and Herculaneum
Much of the Roman graffiti in Pompeii and Herculaneum has been preserved by covering it with volcanic ash. As the towns and villages were destroyed abruptly, they can be dated to (or before) 79 AD.
Sometimes the graffiti is about prostitutes, some is about food critics, some is about going gay, some is about such obligatory and whatever else you can think of.
The following are from Kashgar.com.au, most of which are too obscene to repeat here. See their website for the full list. Some of the graffiti inscriptions here include:
- House of Cuspius Pansa: Emperor Nero’s finance officer says this food is poison (a 2000-year-old food critic!)
- Bar: We two dear men, friends forever, were here. If you want to know our names, they are Gaius and Aulus.
- gladiator barracks: Floronius, privileged soldier of the 7th legion, was here. The women did not know of his presence. Only six women have known, too few for such a stallion
- gladiator barracks: Antiochus was hanging out here with his girlfriend Cithera.
- House of Cosmos and Epidia: Aufidius was there. Goodbye
- House of Sextus Pompeius Axiochus and Julia Helena: Hectice, baby, Mercator says hello
- Vico degli Scienziati: Cruel Lalagus, why don’t you love me?
- Atrium of the House of Pinarius: If someone doesn’t believe in Venus, they should look at my girlfriend
- Vicolo del Panattiere, House of the Vibii Merchants: Atimetus got me pregnant
- House of Caprasius Primus: I don’t want to sell my husband, not for all the money in the world
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