| Category |
Description |
|---|---|
| Alphabet |
The beginning of the Greek alphabet. |
| Alphabet |
Part of the Greek alphabet. |
| Alphabet | Part of the alphabet (OPQRSTVXY).
|
| Alphabet |
Part of the Greek alphabet? |
| Alphabet |
The Greek alphabet on lines 3 and 4. |
| Amphitheatre and circus | QV SECVNDA FORMOSA The first part seems to be about a beautiful girl, Secunda. For line 3 cf. Suetonius, Nero 22: prasinum agitatorem, a Green charioteer in the games at the circus. The factio prasina was the party of charioteers who dressed in green. The graffito brings to mind the paintings of charioteers in the building.
|
| Amphitheatre and circus |
A gladiator looking towards his left. |
| Amphitheatre and circus | A gladiator with shield and helmet. Possibly this is a secutor, to which the letter S in the upper left part may refer. To the right is a trident, a weapon used by the retiarius, a regular opponent of the secutor.
|
| Amphitheatre and circus |
According to the excavator "... two gladiators in combat, one of which fully armed with fasciae, manica, galea and a rectangular shield. Above the figure the name TAVRVS ..." Others suggest that the drawing is of a judge and a victorious gladiator (retiarius), and read above the drawing the inscription: GLAPHYRINVS / BAETICVS TAVR[VS] |
| Amphitheatre and circus |
Androm(achus) iii ca(lendas) Apr(iles) | Bal(erianus) iiii non(as) Mai(as). It has been suggested that this graffito is about gladiators. The dates are March 30 and May 4. |
| Amphitheatre and circus | A gladiator with arm outstretched. |
| Amphitheatre and circus | A quadriga.
|
| Animals | A two-headed horse or wolf?. |
| Animals |
An elephant showing 'criss-cross' markings, a technique frequently used with drawings of animals. Several deer are drawn like this at Herculaneum, as is a horse at Dura Europus. |
| Animals |
A snake with a comb on its head. |
| Animals |
|
| Animals | A horse's head.
|
| Animals |
The head of an animal. |
| Animals |
Perhaps about the sale of pigs (porci). |
| Animals |
A horse or cow? |
| Animals | A ram's head. |
| Animals | A horse's head. |
| Animals | MII/\I VIS . OVIIS NATI About the birth of sheep? |
| Commercial texts | PRIMODIII Apparently the registration of the payment of denarii on the first, second and third day. |
| Commercial texts | DIINARIOS XXVII A text referring to money. Next to a drawing of a lizard. |
| Commercial texts | accepti (denarii) XXV K(alendis) Decenb(ribus) About money received on December 1st. |
| Commercial texts | * III * = denarii, A = asses. |
| Commercial texts | IIII BYTIRRI The graffito mentions butter, oil and grain (frume[ntum]). |
| Commercial texts |
PANIIM A VIII About the purchase of bread and wood (or a wooden writing-tablet), paid with a(sses).
|
| Commercial texts |
This is what we read before high resolution photographs were made: A. III NON IVLIAS, i.e July 5 Open this PDF to see what we read after high resolution photographs were made in 2009. Most of these graffiti are dates related to the receiving of money. A year has not been found. Sometimes text was cancelled by horizontal lines. For some reason, during a number of months, registration took place on a wall. Quite interesting is the text: "Know that (on this day) it is thundering here" (scite hic tonat). Special emphasis is given to this event by adding the word scite. A reference to a thunderstorm seems unlikely. Perhaps a quarrel is meant, or even an earthquake. |
| Commercial texts | COIIMIAXCFVDI RIVA Perhaps Coemi a(ssibus) XC, fudi riva[lem]: "I bought it for 90 asses, I beat my rival", referring to an auction. |
| Complex structures | Drawing. |
| Complex structures | A rectangular shape with (partly inscribed) lines. |
| Complex structures | A map? The first photo is in reality also above the second one. The two photos partly overlap.
|
| Complex structures | A map or a machine? |
| Complex structures |
A structure looking like a millstone in a bakery. |
| Complex structures | A structure and perhaps a human figure. |
| Complex structures | Lines. |
| Complex structures | X I I I I I I I I I and lines. |
| Complex structures |
|
| Complex structures |
A plan of two buildings? |
| Complex structures | Lines. |
| Complex structures | A grid or gaming board. |
| Complex structures | Long and short lines. |
| Complex structures |
|
| Complex structures | Profile of an object. The architrave of a temple or public building? |
| Complex structures | A grid. |
| Complex structures | Concentric circles and a few straight lines. |
| Dates | III K
|
| Dates |
VII Kal Commodas. Commodus had introduced a month called Commodus (August or perhaps September). After his death the original name was restored. Cf. CIL XIV, 2113 (Lavinium). |
| Dates |
V K OCT VIINIT K = KAL. About the arrival of someone on September 28. |
| Dates |
Many dates can be read (apparently January 18-26 and March 26 in the first column, February 11 in the second). The word centenarium refers to something consisting of or relating to one hundred, such as a pistrinum centenarium, a bakery for which a minimum investment was needed or which handled a minimum amount of grain. |
| Dates | Tallymarks and dates (February 13, March 18).
N5261 (tallymarks, part of IDVS FEB) |
| Dates | XII K__L |
| Dates | M CAVIO SQUILLA GALLICANO A consular date: 150 AD. |
| Dates | Imp(eratore) Antonino III August 6, 220 AD.
|
| Dates |
V IDVS MARTIAS March 11. |
| Dates | IV IDVS |
| Dates | V K A . . . A |
| Dates | V IDVS OCT ...
|
| Dates |
K VX IVNIVS | IVLIAS
|
| Dates | II KAL MAR February 29. |
| Dates | III K |
| Dates | III N DIICIIMBRIIS December 3rd. |
| Dates | K MART IDVS | IVLIAS.
|
| Dates | III NONAS APRILIIS April 3rd. |
| Dates |
VII ID IVN June 7th. |
| Dates | XII K |
| Erotica | Ego memini quemda(m) crissasse puella(m), "I remember touching the buttocks of a certain girl, From a tomb. |
| Erotica |
According to the excavator: Agathopus et Prima et Epaphroditus tres convenientes. Others suggests: Agathopus et Prima et (four deleted letters) Mod(e)stus tres convenientes. "Agathopus and Prima (or: Primus?) and Epaphroditus (or: Modestus) had a threesome". |
| Erotica | CRVSEROS AMAS ADAMA "Chrysis, you love Chryseros, but he loves Apella. Many greetings from Iustus Ianuarius". Line 3 was written in the right half of the graffito. |
| Erotica |
Hermadion cinaedus. "You are a faggot, Hermadion". |
| Erotica | HICAMOR "Love lives here".
|
| Erotica | LVCILA FORMOSA About a beautiful girl, Lucilla. |
| Erotica |
A phallus and text.
|
| Erotica |
A phallus. |
| Erotica |
COLONICV(S) Apparently about licking a c**t. Above an erotic drawing (phallus).
|
| Erotica |
A Greek text, referring to a depilator or perhaps rather an erotic allusion. |
| Erotica | PVPA V(ale) SAL(utem) "Darling (doll), hello, greetings!" |
| Erotica | CINEDVS PEDICATVR | ... Note the lines through part of the text.
|
| Erotica |
[---]IANVARIA NUGAS ES About a frivolous girl, Ianuaria, and a lover. Lines 2, 4 and 5 were written in the right half of the graffito.
|
| Erotica | M/\MIVS SALIVS About a beautiful man. Line 2 was written in the right half of the graffito. |
| Erotica |
According to the excavator: Cepholus et Musice duo conve | nientes. Others suggests: Nicephorus et Musice duo convenientes. "Cepholus (or: Nicephorus?) and Musice came together". |
| Erotica |
Two graffiti, one on top of the other. Hic ad Callin[i]cum "Here I had oral and anal intercourse with my friend in the inn of Callinicus (or: with my sea-going friend Callinicus?). Do not ...". This graffito was written first. Callinicus was probably the owner (vilicus) of the building. Livius me cunus "Livius licks my c**t (or: Livius, that faggot, licks me?). Tertullus ... c**t (or: faggot?) ... Efesius loves Terpsilla (or: Terisius?)". This is the second graffito.
|
| Famous buildings | A temple, or public building. |
| Famous buildings - Lighthouse of Portus | The lighthouse of Portus.
|
| Famous buildings - Lighthouse of Portus |
The lighthouse in Portus. |
| Famous buildings - Lighthouse of Portus |
The lighthouse in Portus, next to Trajan's column. The upper left part has recently disappeared.
|
| Famous buildings - Lighthouse of Portus | The lighthouse of Portus.
|
| Famous buildings - Trajan's column |
A drawing of Trajan's column with the text: PVTE[olanus?] | H | HIERON PI | NXIT. "On the western wall of the porticoed corridor someone called Hieron, of Greek origin, has signed the oldest, perhaps unique, depiction of Trajan's Column in Rome, drawn with great care and precision. The Ostia lighthouse is drawn several times with varying degrees of success and, on the same wall, a careful hand has minutely drawn a kind of small board divided into squares, more or less like our modern game of chess" (R. Calza). The upper part has recently disappeared.
|
| Frames for writing |
Tabula ansata. |
| Frames for writing |
|
| Frames for writing |
A tabula ansata. |
| Frames for writing | IATVM in an unfinished tabula ansata (left ansa missing). The thickness of the letters and the position, on the bottom line and not in the centre, suggest that we read here the English name Tatum. The tabula ansata may be modern as well.
|
| Games |
The 1 on a dice. The second in a row of three dice. |
| Games |
A gaming board? Modern? |
| Games | A gaming board. |
| Games |
The 4 on a dice. The third in a row of three dice. On the three dice the numbers are 6, 1 and 4, perhaps intended as the numerical palindrome VIIIV.
|
| Games |
The 6 on a dice. The first in a row three dice. |
| Geometric and vegetative motifs |
|
| Geometric and vegetative motifs | A wheel? |
| Geometric and vegetative motifs | A cross in a circle. |
| Geometric and vegetative motifs |
|
| Geometric and vegetative motifs | A wheel? |
| Geometric and vegetative motifs |
A circle with inscribed lines. |
| Geometric and vegetative motifs |
|
| Geometric and vegetative motifs | Branches.
|
| Geometric and vegetative motifs |
Rectangle drawn over the head on a wall painting. |
| Geometric and vegetative motifs | A branch.
|
| Geometric and vegetative motifs | A geometrical pattern. |
| Geometric and vegetative motifs | A few lines forming triangles. |
| Geometric and vegetative motifs | A drawing of metal decoration? |
| Geometric and vegetative motifs |
Two helices, the one on the left vertical, the one on the right horizontal. |
| Geometric and vegetative motifs | Geometrical design. |
| Geometric and vegetative motifs | A square with inscribed lines. |
| Geometric and vegetative motifs | |
| Geometric and vegetative motifs |
Lines looking like a plan. |
| Geometric and vegetative motifs |
|
| Geometric and vegetative motifs | Geometrical design. It looks as though a mistake has been made in this drawing, which as a result has not been completed. |
| Geometric and vegetative motifs | |
| Geometric and vegetative motifs | A circle with an inscribed cross. |
| Geometric and vegetative motifs |
|
| Geometric and vegetative motifs |
|
| Geometric and vegetative motifs | Drawing. |
| Geometric and vegetative motifs |
|
| Geometric and vegetative motifs | Three objects looking like a branch, a stick and a bracelet. |
| Geometric and vegetative motifs | |
| Geometric and vegetative motifs | |
| Geometric and vegetative motifs | |
| Geometric and vegetative motifs | (palma) |
| Geometric and vegetative motifs | Geometrical design. It looks as though this drawing has not been completed.
|
| Geometric and vegetative motifs | Geometrical design. |
| Geometric and vegetative motifs | A rectangle with inscribed lines, looking like a simple plan. |
| Geometric and vegetative motifs |
|
| Geometric and vegetative motifs | A wheel? |
| Geometric and vegetative motifs |
A circle with inscribed lines. |
| Geometric and vegetative motifs | A circle with an inscribed cross. |
| Geometric and vegetative motifs |
Concentric circles, perhaps a rope coiled on the deck of a ship. |
| Geometric and vegetative motifs |
|
| Human figures | Male head.
|
| Human figures | A human figure. |
| Human figures |
One of three heads found one above the other. |
| Human figures | |
| Human figures |
A name. Next to a drawing of a male head. |
| Human figures | BVRDO The text accompanies a rough bust of a young man with bulla. |
| Human figures | Perhaps the legs of a male figure. |
| Human figures | A human torso. |
| Human figures | A human figure. |
| Human figures | A face? |
| Human figures |
The headware being worn in this drawing seems identical to examples described by Langner (2001) at Aphrodisias, Pompeii and Delphi. One explanation of what is happening is that a tibia is being played. It may also be a modern custodian or archaeologist, smoking a cigar. |
| Human figures | A human figure. |
| Human figures |
One of three heads found one above the other. |
| Human figures |
One of three heads found one above the other. |
| Human figures | A male figure.
|
| Human figures | A head or torso? |
| Human figures |
A head looking towards his left. |
| Human figures | Drawing of a person.
|
| Human figures | Head and shoulders, looking left. |
| Human figures |
A male, winged head. Perhaps a representation of a wind. |
| Masters and slaves |
"Your mistress is far inferior to you". |
| Masters and slaves |
domesticus (or Domesticus?) grat[i]as aget dominu suo A slave thanks his master and wishes him well. |
| Masters and slaves | HICEGOMENAEMI "Here I bought (the slave) Menas". |
| Medicine | A EHI COMITIALE VA Perhaps about epilepsy (morbus comitialis). |
| Medicine | MIIDICAMI[---] About medicine and the plant lingua bubula (ox-tongue). Cato, De Re Rustica 40: "cover the whole with ox-tongue, so that if it rains the water will not soak into the bark". See also Pliny, Natural History, 17, 14, 24, par. 112. It has been used in history to induce courage, joy, merriment, exhilaration, and making "the mind glad". It was also ground up into a poultice, and used to treat bruises and abrasions. |
| Mixed content | Text and drawings.
|
| Mixed content | "Next to the door, on the right, a small boat, without sails, drawn with infinite accuracy; next to it there is a figure showing its right profile, wrapped in a cloak that seems to hide its legs, which cannot be seen. Behind, or resting on its shoulder, is a cornucopia which could indicate that this is a female figure, although its features are rather masculine... Below these there is a complete, very large circle." |
| Mixed content |
|
| Mixed content |
|
| Mixed content |
Left column, layer 27: the Greek alphabet.
|
| Mixed content | |
| Mixed content |
Below a drawing of a bird. |
| Mixed content | AVE | RO(ma?) With drawings of a head of a donkey and a palm branch. |
| Mixed content | [Photo nr. - layer - description] 1 - Layer 33 left.....?
|
| Mixed content | [Photo nr. - layer - description] 1 - Layer 31.....VIII
|
| Mixed content | "Dates and accounts and notes drawn with many parallel lines, through which a diagonal line is drawn". |
| Mixed content | G0036a-l
"... as well as boats ... there is a virile, nude figure of the athletic type, surrounded by animals amongst which two horses, a ram and a dog are recognisable." One person is wreathed. |
| Mixed content |
"A slab bearing graffiti of an elephant, a web-footed horse, a four-legged beast with a mouse's snout, a helmeted soldier with shield and lance, a juggler, a boat with an oar". |
| Mixed content | Drawings and text.
|
| Mixed content | Text and a drawing.
|
| Mixed content | A number above a drawing of a tower?
|
| Mixed content | Numbers and a ship?
|
| Names |
|
| Names | YACINTHVS |
| Names |
|
| Names |
CAMAND[---] Possibly a name (Gaius Amandus). In a shrine. |
| Names |
|
| Names | AVRELIVS HERMOGENES |
| Names | HIRPINIVS DO[---] |
| Names | MRVSIILLIO COS SOLVI The name is probably M. Rubellius. Cos may be a false reading, because a consul with the name Marcus Rubellius is not known. |
| Names |
|
| Names |
|
| Names | IANVARIA FVIT |
| Names | MMISSXVSFEGIT "[Name] made it". |
| Names | (centuria) RVFI |
| Names | LCFHIC The initials of someone who was "here"? |
| Names | MARIVS
|
| Names | FLORO ATINI |
| Names |
An excubatorium is a small watch-post of the fire brigade. The date is March 18. |
| Numbers | Tally marks. |
| Numbers | * I I I + + + + * + I I |
| Numbers | IIIII |
| Numbers | Some lines and the text ...XV... |
| Numbers | Numbers.
|
| Numbers |
|
| Numbers | XIII |
| Numbers | XIIIII.IIIIIII.. |
| Numbers | X X X X I |
| Numbers | Many numbers.
|
| Numbers |
|
| Numbers | IIIIIII X IIIII X IIIIII X |
| Numbers | Tally marks. |
| Numbers | Tally marks. |
| Numbers | Tallymarks. |
| Numbers | Tallymarks. |
| Numbers | Numbers.
|
| Numbers | Small crosses. |
| Numbers | Tallymarks
|
| Numbers | IIII |
| Numbers |
|
| Numbers | HN IIII |
| Numbers | * IIIIIIIIIIIIII |
| Numbers |
|
| Numbers | X H * I I |
| Numbers | IIIIV IIII D |
| Numbers |
|
| Numbers |
Surely modern ?! |
| Numbers | LXXVII.
|
| Numbers | X X I I |
| Numbers |
IOCINA |
| Numbers | * |
| Numbers |
Surely modern ?! |
| Numbers | Tallymarks.
|
| Numbers |
Surely modern ?! |
| Numbers | |
| Numbers | A number.
|
| Numbers |
Tally marks. |
| Numbers | XIIII |
| Numbers | Tallymarks |
| Numbers | Tallymarks |
| Numbers | Tally marks. |
| Numbers | Tallymarks |
| Numbers | Tallymarks |
| Numbers | I I I I I X I I I I I |
| Numbers | Tallymarks.
|
| Numbers | A number.
|
| Numbers | IV |
| Numbers. | Numbers.
|
| People - About people | CALVIUS [---]ILIGIVS EST Comments about a number of people. "Calvius ... Pomptinius ... is happy (?) ...Arri(us) is a good man." Then something is said about a girl and a wife. |
| People - About people | SVIIISAMIVS Perhaps Sum Samius ("I am from Samos"). |
| People - About people | LVRE SIC EXPIRIS ("Lurius, in this way you will die"). Was this really a name, or was it "lupus" (wolf), the P later changed to an R?
|
| People - About people |
VIII IDVS SIIPTIIMBRIIS "On September 6 the host Licinius ...". |
| People - About people |
"Every comer scrawls the walls with his graffiti, |
| People - About people | MVLVSAMETPATICAM "The wall loves the perverted woman" (?) |
| People - About people | [---]SVENVSTVSOMOBON\[---] ---iu]s Venustus (h)omo bonu[s] (tus was written above the line). "... Venustus is a good man". On a brick. |
| People - About people | STEPI Possibly: "Rufio dislikes Stephanus!" (or the other way around). |
| People - About people | SIICVNDE Secunde, Policarpus es? ("Secundus, you are ..."). |
| People - About people | OBIILIA SVO "Obelia to her ..., greetings". |
| People - About people | HOC QUI SCRIP[---] "He who wrote this ... below". |
| People - About people |
"Every comer scrawls the walls with his graffiti, |
| People - About people | ACTORES P ACTI MARTIALIS Possibly: "The stewards of Publius Actius Martialis pray that ... releases him from the ocean ... to (his estate in) Tibur". |
| People - Famous people |
The first words of the Aeneid of Vergilius. |
| People - Famous people |
"Diogenes the Cynic". Is someone in the building being compared to Diogenes and his doglike behaviour? |
| Religion |
A parallel from Rome suggests that the first line contained the names of the seven planets. The numbers indicate the days of the month. |
| Religion - Christianity |
The chi-rho monogram. |
| Religion - Christianity | EX PERSECVNDE DOMINII SALVTIS EME "Lord give safety from the persecutor". (?) |
| Religion - Chritianity | LEGE ET INTELLIGE MVTV LOQVI AD MACELLV(M) "Read and understand that a dumb man has recovered his speech in the Market" |
| Religion - Cult of Mithras | DOMINVS SOL Dominus Sol | hic avitat = Dominus Sol hic habitat. "Lord Sun lives here". The reference is probably to Sol-Mithras.
|
| Religion - Cult of Mithras |
In a mithraeum. In the left column possibly the names of slaves (the first name may be Hylas). In the right column possibly gifts to Mithras, amongst which was wine. BINV may be vinv[m]. The X with a vertical bar may stand for denarius. The lines end with numbers. Below the niche of mithraeum. |
| Religion - Imperial cult | AELIVS MASVETVS Near a shrine. |
| Religion - Imperial cult | CLAVDI[---] Near a shrine. |
| Religion - Imperial cult | C SALVIVS OPTATVS Near a shrine. |
| Religion - Imperial cult | C LICINIVS FELIX Near a shrine. |
| Religion - Imperial cult | [---]DISIVS or I/STVS Near a shrine. |
| Religion - Imperial cult | SVLPICIVS Near a shrine. |
| Religion - Imperial cult |
In a shrine. Lines 1-6 were written in a tabula ansata. This and the word solv(it?) indicate the fulfilment of a vow. The graffito was apparently dated (cos). |
| Religion - Imperial cult |
Ceriale. A short way to indicate the year 215 AD, Cerialis being one of the two eponymous consuls. In a shrine. |
| Religion - Imperial cult |
In a shrine. |
| Religion - Imperial cult | IVLIVS FAVSTIN[---] Buchi[nator] is probably bucinator, a trumpeter. PRIMIGENIAD was written across the name Iulius Faustinus. In a shrine. |
| Religion - Imperial cult | M MIRENIVS IVLIVS Mirenius or Myrenius. Bucinator means trumpeter. In a shrine. |
| Religion - Imperial cult |
Marius | Anna | VII Kal Maias (April 25th). In a shrine. |
| Religion - Imperial cult | Coh(orte) VII (or VI) (centuria) Ost(iensis) imp(erante) In a tabula ansata: "Calpurnius, night-watchman from the centuria of Ostiensis, from the seventh (or sixth) cohors, during the reign of Caracalla, in the year of consuls Laetus and Cerialis (215 AD), X". Sebarius = sebaciarius, night-watchman. The X means vota decennalia. In a shrine.
|
| Religion - Imperial cult |
"For the safety of our lord Severus Alexander, the pious, the happy, Augustus. We, the soldiers of the first cohort of the fire-fighters, the Severan, were stationed in these barracks for 30 days". In a shrine. |
| Religion - Imperial cult |
]a tutus | ?um? sicinius [fide?]lis clodius floridianus | mantius fel[i]x feliciter. In a shrine. |
| Religion - Imperial cult | TMARCIVS T. Marcius "T. Marcius Ingenu(u)s [a free man], slave of the deified Emperors, a good man". Note the intentional opposition between ingenuus and servus.
|
| Religion - Imperial cult | C LICINIVS CHO? FELIX Near a shrine. |
| Religion - Traditional religion |
VT A[_ _ _ _ _ _ ]SIT A woman named Lucceia Primitiva promises that she will thank a deity, Fortuna Taurianensis, when she and those who are dear to her will be in good health, after a danger which is mentioned in the first, mutilated line. It is unlikely that this Fortuna is the protective deity of Taurianum, a town in the south of Italy. More likely there is a relation with the cognomen Taurianus, that is documented in the Serapeum (III,XVII,4).
|
| Religion - Traditional religion |
NEPTUNE [--] E |
| Religion - Traditional religion |
Idus Dec (?) | XV Kal Nov (December 13th; October 18th). On the back wall of the niche of a lararium.
|
| Religion - Traditional religion | HERMAE On a brick of a pier of the main entrance to a building. Later covered with plaster. |
| Religion - Traditional religion | SATVR On a marble fragment. |
| Religion - Traditional religion |
MERCVR VLS P CO Mercur(io) v(otum) l(ibens) s(olvit) or s(olverunt) ... About the fulfilment of a vow to Mercurius.
|
| Religion - Traditional religion |
"Righteous Hermes (Mercurius), bring profit to Hektikos." |
| Ships | A boat. |
| Ships | A boat. |
| Ships | A boat. |
| Ships | A ship.
|
| Ships | A ship.
|
| Ships | The rigging of a boat? |
| Ships | A boat. |
| Ships | |
| Ships | A boat. |
| Ships | A ship?
|
| Ships | A boat. |
| Ships |
Near "boats drawn with a very light hand, with great attention given to the details of the keel and sails." |
| Ships |
A ship.
|
| Ships |
A boat. |
| Ships |
A prow of a boat. |
| Ships | ABI "Go!" Next to a drawing of a ship. |
| Ships | The prow of a boat.
|
| Ships |
A boat with full rigging. |
| Ships | ![]() |
| Ships | Part of a boat? |
| Ships |
A boat. The short mast at one end of the boat indicates that it is a tow-boat. |
| Ships | The prow of a boat? |
| Ships | A boat? |
| Ships | The prow of a boat. |
| Ships | Possibly a boat. |
| Ships | A boat. |
| Ships | Possibly a ship's rigging. |
| Ships | A ship.
|
| Ships | A ship.
|
| Ships | A ship.
|
| Ships | A boat.
|
| Ships | The prow of a boat. |
| Ships |
A boat.
A face on the prow can be viewed in two ways. Here the head is looking straight forward.
Here the head is looking to its right and slightly downwards. |
| Ships |
A person in a small boat. |
| Ships | A boat. |
| Towers, cranes | A tower.
|
| Towers, cranes | Tallymarks next to a tower.
|
| Towers, cranes | A tower.
|
| Towers, cranes | |
| Towers, cranes |
A structure looking like a tower or an obelisk. |
| Towers, cranes |
A structure looking like a tower or an obelisk, and the letters MAXI in a tabula ansata. |
| Towers, cranes | A crane. |
| Towers, cranes | A drawing of a crane? |
| Towers, cranes | A tower with a pyramidal shape, perhaps a crane. |
| Towers, cranes |
A structure looking like a tower. |
| Towers, cranes | A tower with a pyramidal shape, perhaps a crane, and the letters IRIIN. |
| Towers, cranes | A crane? |
| Towers, cranes | A crane? |
| Unclassified texts | Text.
|
| Unclassified texts | Text.
|
| Unclassified texts | V E I _ I |
| Unclassified texts | Text.
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| Unclassified texts | Text.
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| Unclassified texts | Text.
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| Unclassified texts | LHL |
| Unclassified texts | Text.
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| Unclassified texts | V I F D |
| Unclassified texts | Dructus |
| Unclassified texts | Text.
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| Unclassified texts | Text.
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| Unclassified texts | Text.
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| Unclassified texts | V T R _ |
| Unclassified texts | Text.
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| Unclassified texts | Text.
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| Unclassified texts | Text and lines.
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| Unclassified texts | Text.
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| Unclassified texts | Text.
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| Unclassified texts | Text.
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| Unclassified texts | Text.
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| Unclassified texts | Text.
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| Unclassified texts | Two lines of Greek text. |
| Unclassified texts | Text.
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| Unclassified texts | Text.
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| Unclassified texts |
A E V T V S |
| Unclassified texts | Text.
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| Unclassified texts | First hand: LCCV | Second hand: [o]MNIBVS VLAN[---]?
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| Unclassified texts | Two lines of Greek text. |
| Unclassified texts | Text.
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| Unclassified texts | Text.
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| Unclassified texts | Three lines of (Greek?) text. |
| Unclassified texts | Text.
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| Unclassified texts | Two lines of text. |
| Unclassified texts | Text.
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| Unclassified texts | |
| Unclassified texts | I I I V M A T I L L S I A I |
| Unclassified texts | |
| Unclassified texts | M E T A T V |
| Unclassified texts | XV KAL A. |
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VIRTVS |
| Unclassified texts |
Ianuarias? |
| Unclassified texts | ROMA. |
| Unclassified texts | O _ A N C R O |
| Unclassified texts | |
| Unclassified texts | ANNA SX IIIV |
| Unclassified texts | [---]YLL[---] |
| Unclassified texts | ROMAN |
| Unclassified texts | S |
| Unclassified texts | A few letters.
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| Unclassified texts | |
| Unclassified texts | NERONII EMAOPII A reference to the Emperor Nero? |
| Unclassified texts | XIA * |
| Unclassified texts | AVLA |
| Unclassified texts | AMA PVERVM |
| Unclassified texts | A single line of text |
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| Unclassified texts |
N |
| Unclassified texts | Two lines of Greek (?) text. |
| Unclassified texts | * + X X I I I X O
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| Unclassified texts | I I V _ |
| Unclassified texts | C N V _ M N A _ K A O P I R E |
| Unclassified texts | Three (Greek?) letters. |
| Unclassified texts | Text. |
| Unclassified texts |
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| Unclassified texts | (ian/febr)VARIAS Either a name or a month. |
| Unclassified texts |
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| Unclassified texts | Many letters. |
| Unclassified texts | Text?
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| Unclassified texts | Text. |
| Unclassified texts | . . . . N I On a mithraeum. The Greek letter psi may be in the upper left part.
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| Unclassified texts | H I . . . . On a mithraeum.
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| Unclassified texts | . . . . On a mithraeum.
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| Unclassified texts | I A N H C A S On a mithraeum. The Greek letter theta may be in the lower right part.
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On bricks. |
| Unclassified texts | JALISVS SAALBIVS SAINIIEMIIIIA
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| Unclassified texts | |
| Unclassified texts | QVO NON FACITI INVRIAM About injustice? |
| Unclassified texts | MORIIM SAN "The conduct ...". |
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| Unclassified texts | ROMA |
| Unclassified texts | GOMIIMIIMINI FVISSIIT |
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From the floor of the latrine. |
| Unclassified texts |
NIHILI PHPHOR |
| Unclassified texts | BVBINNI |
| Unclassified texts | FVGII ORODIIRASIO DII SIICVS ICMI Line 2 was written in the right half of the graffito. |
| Unclassified texts |
W |
| Unclassified texts | [---] CISTI. IIXXI |
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| Unclassified texts | A MARIT |
| Unclassified texts |
In a tabula ansata.
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| Unclassified texts | MA |
| Unclassified texts |
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| Unclassified texts |
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| Unclassified texts | [---]RDVS |
| Unclassified texts | Text.
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| Unclassified texts | ecare pod |
| Unclassified texts |
VITIASVA A reference to vices? |
| Unclassified texts | VATIITIIRII |
| Unclassified texts | Text.
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| Unclassified texts | Text and/or a drawing. |
| Unclassified texts | Possibly text. |
| Unclassified texts | Text?
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| Unclassified texts | EVT |
| Unclassified texts | Text.
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| Unclassified texts | C X G I I I I |
| Unclassified texts | Text.
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| Unclassified texts. |
PERFIXI From perfigo, to pierce through? |
| Unidentified objects | A drawing. |
| Unidentified objects | Lines.
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| Unidentified objects | Lines.
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| Unidentified objects | Lines.
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| Unidentified objects | Lines. |
| Unidentified objects | Lines.
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| Unidentified objects | Lines. |
| Unidentified objects | Curved lines. |
| Unidentified objects | Drawing.
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| Unidentified objects | Drawing.
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| Unidentified objects | Lines.
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| Unidentified objects | Concentric circles and some lines. |
| Unidentified objects | Lines.
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| Unidentified objects | Lines.
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| Unidentified objects | Lines.
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| Unidentified objects | Lines.
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| Unidentified objects | Lines.
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| Unidentified objects | Lines.
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| Unidentified objects | Lines.
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| Unidentified objects | Lines.
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| Unidentified objects | Drawings.
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| Unidentified objects | A few lines. |
| Unidentified objects | Drawings.
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| Unidentified objects | Drawings?
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| Unidentified objects | Drawing?
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| Unidentified objects | Drawing.
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| Unidentified objects | A few lines. |
| Unidentified objects | Drawing.
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| Unidentified objects | Drawing.
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| Unidentified objects | |
| Unidentified objects | |
| Unidentified objects | |
| Unidentified objects | |
| Unidentified objects | |
| Unidentified objects | |
| Unidentified objects | |
| Unidentified objects | A few lines. |
| Unidentified objects | Grooves. |
| Unidentified objects | A few lines. |
| Unidentified objects | A few lines. |
| Unidentified objects | Drawing. |
| Unidentified objects | Drawing. |
| Unidentified objects | Drawing. |
| Unidentified objects | Lines.
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| Unidentified objects | Drawing. |
| Unidentified objects | Drawing. |
| Unidentified objects | Drawing. |
| Unidentified objects |
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| Unidentified objects | Drawing. |
| Unidentified objects |
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| Unidentified objects | A few lines. |
| Unidentified objects |
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| Unidentified objects | Lines. |
| Unidentified objects | Drawings?
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| Unidentified objects | Drawings?
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| Unidentified objects | Drawings?
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| Unidentified objects | Lines.
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| Unidentified objects | A rectangle. |
| Unidentified objects |
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| Unidentified objects | A rectangle. |
| Unidentified objects | A drawing. |
| Vessels | An amphora? |
| Vessels | An amphora? |
| Vessels |
An amphora. |
| Word games |
This is a word-square and palindrome. The text can be read in four directions. |
| Word games | ROMA Written near the beginning of the word game ROMA TIBI. |
| Word games |
The beginning of a versus recurrens (palindrome) by Sidonius Apollinaris (c. 430 - after 489 AD): Roma tibi subito motibus ibit amor ("Rome, your love, will suddenly collapse in disturbances"). |
| Word games | PRIMA LITIIRA SIMILIS IIST QVARTII SIMILIS IIT QVINTA According to Calza this riddle is about the six vowels, a e i o u y. For the third and fourth line Calza suggests Nomina | quaes[i]ta hoc versiculo ci[to] red[das]. Della Corte saw traces of an s after rede. Lebek has shown that this interpretation is wrong. The riddle is a variation or incorrect version of a known verse: Prima sonat quartae, respondet quinta secundae, tertia cum sexta: nomen habebit avis ("The first sounds like the fourth, the fifth corresponds with the second, the third with the sixth: the bird will have a name"). The solution is turtur, i.e. turtle-dove. The problem with the interpretation of the Ostian graffito is the plural nomina. Lebek suggests that perhaps we should be thinking of more than one word: turtur, furfur, murmur, tortor etc., but he adds that a riddle with many answers is not a good riddle. Possibly this was a well-known riddle. In that case the hint nomen habebit avis was superfluous. The plural nomina may lead us to another word for dove, namely columba, the Christian dove (see e.g. Matthew 3,16; baptism of Christ). The first photograph below shows SIMILIS IIT QV and the second, CVM SIIXTA |
| Word games | LITTIIRA PRIMA DOLIIT LVBIIT Usually thought to be about the five vowels as exclamations: A is related to pain, E to happiness, I to being sent off (ire), O to pain, and U to jealousy or bearing a grudge. Lebek suggests a slightly different reading and interpretation: Littera prima dolet: a ("Ah!") The word is the vocative asine, i.e. blockhead, Dummkopf. Could it be that this is a Christian graffito? The letters do not describe stupidity. Nor is there a reason for the person who has just solved the riddle to feel stupid. Perhaps we should take them as serious statements, in which case we may remember a graffito from Rome: a drawing of a crucified man with the head of an ass, someone looking at him, and the text "Alexamenos worships his God".
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