Pompeii Vesuvius erupts on

August 24, 79 AD Pliny the Younger's

letter to Tacitus One day frozen in time Valuable resource for

classicists

Latin Graffiti

Sometimes painted, sometimes etched into plaster walls

This one to the right is a caricature of the house dominus

Latin Graffiti

Tombs on either side of road as you approach cityPrime place for graffiti

heavy trafficAll letters written in capitals“u” and “v” are both denoted by capital “V”

e.g. NVCERIA for Nuceria“A” most often written as “Λ”Principle of Economy:

abbreviations preferred; least amount of space for maximum amount of information

“Interpuncts” for word separationMutual dependence of text and image

The Nuceria Gate Graffiti

Gate to Nuceria Walls of tombs contain graffiti

House of Ceii

The Nuceria Gate Graffiti

Basic Rubric:Gladiator NameRoman NumeralBackward “C”Second NumeralFinal Letter

M. ΛTTILIVSXIIכXEither “V” or “M”

The Nuceria Gate Graffiti

Gladiator Name: Attilius, Hilarus, Raecius, etc.First Roman Numeral: Probably denotes the number

of victories this gladiator has won.“victoriae/victoriarum”

The Reversed “C”: symbol for “coronae”Second Roman Numeral: Number of coronae won

This numeral never greater than firstFinal Letter M or V:

“M” stands for missus est: reprieved (lost, but lived)

“V” stands for vicit: he wonCeladus at Pompeii as suspirium puellarum

CIL iv 10236

M ΛTT / M ΛTTILIVS I כ I V. / L RΛECIVS FELIX XII כ XII M

M(arcus) Att(ilius) / M(arcus) Attilius (victoriae) I (coronae) I V(icit). / L(ucius) Raecius Felix / (victoriarum) XII (coronarum) XII M(issus est).

Marcus Attilius. Marcus Attilius, victorious once, awarded a wreath once, won. Lucius Raecius Felix, victorious 12 times, awarded a wreath 12 times, earned a reprieve.

CIL iv 12037

HILΛRVS NER XIV כ / XII V. / CREVNVS VII כ V M. / PRICEPS / NER XII כ X[II?] / V.

Hilarus Ner(onianus) (victoriarum) XIV / (coronarum) / XII v(icit). / Creunus (victoriarum) VII (coronarum) V m(issus est). / Pri(n)ceps / Ner(onianus) (victoriarum) XII (coronarum) X[II?] / v(icit).

Hilarus, from Nero's training school, victorious 14 times, awarded a wreath 12 times, won. Creunus, victorious 7 times, awarded a wreath 5 times, earned a reprieve. Princeps, from Nero's training school, victorious 12 times, awarded a wreath 12 (?) times, won.

CIL iv 12038M ΛTTILIVS T V. / HILΛRVS NER XIV כ XIII / M.

M(arcus) Attilius t(iro) v(icit). / Hilarus Ner(onianus) (victoriarum) XIV (coronarum) XIII / m(issus est).

Marcus Attilius as an amateur won. / Hilarus, from Nero's training school, victorious 14 times, awarded a wreath 13 times, earned a reprieve.

The House of the Ceii

Written into plaster wallsFar more abbreviatedSlightly different rubric:

NameLetter “L”: lib, libr, libeNumeral“V” if winneropponent's (loser's) fate?

CIL iv 8055

OCEΛNVS L XIII V. ΛRΛCINTVS L IIII.

Oceanus l(iber) (victoriarum) XIII v(icit). Aracintus l(iber) (victoriarum) IIII (missus est).

Oceanus, of free status, victorious 13 times, won. Aracintus, of free status, victorious 4 times, earned a reprieve.

CIL iv 8056

SEVERV[S] L XIII. ΛLBΛNVS SC L XIX V.

Severu[s] l(iber) (victoriarum) XIII (missus est). Albanus sc(aeva) l(iber) (victoriarum) XIX v(icit).

Severus, of free status, victorious 13 times, earned a reprieve. Albanus, left-hander, of free status, victorious 19 times, won.