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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.