The beginning of the Greek alphabet.
Part of the Greek alphabet.
Part of the Greek alphabet?
The Greek alphabet on lines 3 and 4.
A gladiator with arm outstretched.
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.
A quadriga.
Photograph by Jan Theo Bakker
- taking the picture after the discovery.
A gladiator.
Photograph by Jan Theo Bakker
- the discovery by Simon Bakker.
QV SECVNDA FORMOSA
BINII QUII BINTVA
FACIIS AGITANTI PRASINI
CRISPI
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.
Photograph
ICCD N5407 (centre)
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]
A gladiator looking towards his left.
Perhaps about the sale of pigs (porci).
The head of an animal.
A ram's head.
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.
Photograph.
A snake with a comb on its head.
A horse's head.
Photograph
ICCD N5387 (small, towards the left, legs also visible)
Photograph
ICCD N5388 (small, towards the bottom, legs also visible)
A horse's head.
A horse or cow?
MII/\I VIS . OVIIS NATI
About the birth of sheep?
A two-headed horse or wolf?.
accepti (denarii) XXV K(alendis) Decenb(ribus)
About money received on December 1st.
PANIIM A VIII
LIGNA A V
About the purchase of bread and wood (or a wooden writing-tablet), paid with a(sses).
Photograph
ICCD N5248 (right part only)
PRIMODIII
* VII
SECVNDO NISV
* VII
INTIIRTIO
* X
Apparently the registration of the payment of denarii on the first, second and third day.
* III
A VIII
A VIII
* = denarii, A = asses.
DIINARIOS XXVII
A text referring to money. Next to a drawing of a lizard.
IIII BYTIRRI
OLEVM X FRVMII
The graffito mentions butter, oil and grain (frume[ntum]).
COIIMIAXCFVDI RIVA
Perhaps Coemi a(ssibus) XC, fudi riva[lem]: "I bought it for 90 asses, I beat my rival", referring to an auction.
A grid.
Drawing.
A map or a machine?
A grid or gaming board.
A rectangular shape with (partly inscribed) lines.
A structure and perhaps a human figure.
Long and short lines.
Concentric circles and a few straight lines.
A map?
The first photo is in reality also above the second one. The two photos partly overlap.
Photographs by Jan Theo Bakker
Profile of an object.
The architrave of a temple or public building?
A plan of two buildings?
Lines.
A structure looking like a millstone in a bakery.
Lines.
X I I I I I I I I I and lines.
Tallymarks and dates (February 13, March 18).
Photograph by Jan Theo Bakker
Photograph by Jan Theo Bakker
Photograph by Jan Theo Bakker
Photographs ICCD:
N5261
(tallymarks, part of IDVS FEB)
N5262
(tallymarks, IDVS FEB, XV K APR)
N5263
(tallymarks and dates)
N5264
(tallymarks, IDVS FEB, XV K APR)
N5265
(tallymarks and dates)
III NONAS APRILIIS
April 3rd.
K VX IVNIVS | IVLIAS
Photograph
ICCD N5420
Photograph
ICCD N5421
M CAVIO SQUILLA GALLICANO
SEX CARMINIO VETERE [co(n)s(ulibus)]
A consular date: 150 AD.
III K
XII K
XII K__L
XII
V K A . . . A
III K
III N DIICIIMBRIIS
SPANILLA P[---]XXIX
MOD MAFA[---]TV
December 3rd.
II KAL MAR
February 29.
Imp(eratore) Antonino III
e(t) Comazonte II co(n)s(ulibus)
VIII Idus Aug(ustas)
August 6, 220 AD.
Photograph
ICCD E40880 (turned 90 degrees)
V IDVS MARTIAS
March 11.
V K OCT VIINIT
K = KAL. About the arrival of someone on September 28.
VII ID IVN
June 7th.
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).
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.
IV IDVS
Photographs:
All these graffiti represent dates:
A. III NON(ae) IVLIVS i.e July 5
B. V NONAS XX
C. ?NON(ae) OCT MCX
D. IIII NON(ae) IIII
E. XII K(alendae) MA??
F. CERIA (Cerialis, a consul of 215 AD?)
G. XII K(alendae)
H. PRI(die) NON(ae) SEPTEM[bri]S i.e. September 4
Overviews: Details ABCD | Details CDEF | Details GH
Photograph
ICCD E40903
cuius cineres aurea terra tegat
"I remember touching the buttocks of a certain girl,
whose ashes the golden earth covers".
From a tomb.
Two graffiti, one on top of the other.
Hic ad Callin[i]cum
futui orem anum (palma)
amicom [---] re nolite r
in aedi ( or: [c]inaede) [---]
"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
lincet Tertulle cunnu ov[---]
Efesius Terpsilla amat.
Photograph
ICCD N5385
Photograph
ICCD N5386
[---]IANVARIA NUGAS ES
VIDVS SCRIPSIT
[---]IMISS[---]VIISTI NII IIOVS
C R O VIIST
AMATOR
[---]AII NIIVA[---]IIS
[--]AC
[---]N
About a frivolous girl, Ianuaria, and a lover.
Lines 2, 4 and 5 were written in the right half of the graffito.
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.
According to the excavator: Cepholus et Musice duo conve | nientes.
Others suggests: Nicephorus et Musice duo convenientes.
A phallus.
COLONICV(S)
LINGIT SET QUIT
LINGIT NESSCIO CVNNV[---]
Apparently about licking a c**t. Above an erotic drawing (phallus).
Photograph
Photograph by Jan Theo Bakker
LVCILA FORMOSA
TIBI IIS NITA
NIS SIS AMA
About a beautiful girl, Lucilla.
A phallus and the text CVNNILINGVS.
PVPA V(ale) SAL(utem)
"Darling (doll), hello, greetings!"
M/\MIVS SALIVS
FORMOSVS
About a beautiful man.
Line 2 was written in the right half of the graffito.
CRVSEROS AMAS ADAMA
APELLA CRVSIDE . IVSTVS IANVAR[---]VS
PLVRIMA
"Chrysis, you love Chryseros, but he loves Apella. Many greetings from Iustus Ianuarius".
Line 3 was written in the right half of the graffito.
Hermadion cinaedus.
"You are a faggot, Hermadion".HICAMOR
HABITAT
"Love lives here".
Photograph
ICCD N5250 (at left end)
A temple, or public building.
The lighthouse in Portus, next to Trajan's column. The upper left part has recently disappeared.
Photograph
ICCD N5281
The lighthouse in Portus.
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.
Photograph
ICCD N5281
A tabula ansata.
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.
Photograph
by Jan Theo Bakker.
Tabula ansata.
A gaming board? Modern?
The 1 on a dice. The second in a row of three dice.
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.
Photograph by Jan Theo Bakker.
The 6 on a dice. The first in a row three dice.
A gaming board.
Lines looking like a plan.
Rectangle drawn over the head on a wall painting.
A drawing of metal decoration?
A few lines forming triangles.
A geometrical pattern.
A wheel?
A cross in a circle.
A wheel?
A wheel?
A square with inscribed lines.
A circle with inscribed lines.
Geometrical design.
It looks as though a mistake has been made in this drawing, which as a result has not been completed.
Three objects looking like a branch, a stick and a bracelet.
A rectangle with inscribed lines, looking like a simple plan.
(palma)
A circle with inscribed lines.
Geometrical design.
Two helices, the one on the left vertical, the one on the right horizontal.
A circle with an inscribed cross.
Concentric circles, perhaps a rope coiled on the deck of a ship.
Photograph
Geometrical design.
It looks as though this drawing has not been completed.
Photograph
ICCD N5423
A circle with an inscribed cross.
Drawing.
Geometrical design.
A name. Next to a drawing of a male head.
A human figure.
A human figure.
A human figure.
A male, winged head. Perhaps a representation of a wind.
BVRDO
The text accompanies a rough bust of a young man with bulla.
Perhaps the legs of a male figure.
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.
A face?
A human torso.
A head looking towards his left.
Male head.
Photograph
ICCD N15469
One of three heads found one above the other.
Head and shoulders, looking left.
One of three heads found one above the other.
One of three heads found one above the other.
A head or torso?
A male figure.
Photograph
ICCD N5290
HICEGOMENAEMI
"Here I bought (the slave) Menas".
domesticus (or Domesticus?) grat[i]as aget dominu suo
[?] opto te bene (or opto te benei valea) [?] to.
A slave thanks his master and wishes him well.
"Your mistress is far inferior to you".
MIIDICAMI[---]
LINGAE BVBI[---]
BVS
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.
A EHI COMITIALE VA
ANIHA
Perhaps about epilepsy (morbus comitialis).
"Dates and accounts and notes drawn with many parallel lines, through which a diagonal line is drawn".
Below a drawing of a bird.
AVE | RO(ma?)
With drawings of a head of a donkey and a palm branch.
Left column, layer 27: the Greek alphabet.
Photographs:
[Photo nr. - layer - description]
1 - Layer 31.....VIII
2 - Layer 31 right....AIN HIVI
3 - Layer 30 left ....a boat
4 - Layer 29 left ....another boat?
5 - Layer 28....MARCUS AVR[e]LIVS NXX I/
6 - Layers 28/27 right....AXXX
7 - Layers 27/26....AXHMI
8 - Layer 26 right....X
9 - Layer 24 centre....M
10 - Layer 23 right....tally marks
11 - Layer 22 left....tally marks
12 - Layers 22/21 right....*AAXI
13 - Layer 21 left....?
14 - Layers 21/20/19 centre....rigging of a boat?
15 - Layer 18 centre....C_IIIINISAVIV
16 - Layer 16 centre....VI
17 - Layer 15....AIXI
18 - Layer 14 left....AEMILIVS IVNIOR
19 - Layer 14 right...._A_
20 - Layer 11 left....SIAAI
21 - Layer 11 centre....NVX
22 - Layer 10 left....IX__IIII
23 - Layer 8 centre....NVM
24 - Layer 7 centre/right....SVISH
25 - Layers 7/6/5 right....?
Photographs: 1 | 2
| 3 |
4 | 5 | 6
| 7 | 8
| 9 | 10
| 11 | 12
| 13 | 14
| 15 | 16
| 17 | 18
| 19 | 20
| 21 | 22
| 23 |
24 | 25
Photograph by Jan Theo Bakker: layer
28.
Photograph
ICCD N5389
[Photo nr. - layer - description]
1 - Layer 33 left.....?
2 - Layer 33 right....rigging?
3 - Layer 32 left ....AICYC?
4 - Layer 32 centre ....?
5 - Layer 32 right...Steelyard or building?
6 - Layers 31 right....?
7 - Layers 30/29 right....?
8 - Layer 29 left/centre....SN I IVN RCVI AATAISI
9 - Layer 28 left....II IIIC I H X
10 - Layer 28 centre....X A W X II
11 - Layer 27 left....VTA__MVIIMI
12 - Layer 27/26 right....Rigging
13 - Layer 24 centre....I N
14 - Layers 23 left....STITIIIIAI
15 - Layer 23 centre/right ....II IIA IIII SIS IIII
16 - Layers 21 left....IVNIVS CHRIISIMVS
17 - Layer 20 left....?
18 - Layer 20 centre....F
19 - Layer 19/18 centre....A boat?
20 - Layers 21 to 18 right ....A boat?
21 - Layer 18 left/centre ....AHVIIIM____AIXIS
22 - Layer 15 left....AIIHII IIA III and a boat
23 - Layer 16/15 right ....?
24 - Layer 14 left....ABCD_FG
25 - Layer 13 centre....?
26 - Layer 12 left ....AN
27 - Layers 11 centre....NE AA NIV N
28 Layer 10 right....IVI
Photographs: 1 | 2
| 3 | 4
| 5 | 6
| 7 | 8
| 9 | 10
| 11 | 12
| 13 | 14
| 15 | 16
| 17 | 18
| 19 | 20
| 21 | 22
| 23 | 24
| 25 | 26
| 27 | 28
-
Photograph by Jan Theo Bakker: layers
21-20.
Photographs:
"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".
Various texts.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.
"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."
An excubatorium is a small watch-post of the fire brigade. The date is March 18.
Photograph. Identification
uncertain.
IANVARIA FVIT
IANVARIAS
Photograph
ICCD N5271
CAMAND[---]
Possibly a name (Gaius Amandus). In a shrine.
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.
MMISSXVSFEGIT
"[Name] made it".
Photographs:
FLORO ATINI
LCFHIC
H BIN
The initials of someone who was "here"?
HIRPINIVS DO[---]
MARIVS
BASSINIAKCSL_OI
SANNIMO
ANIVE_O
Photographs:
AVRELIVS HERMOGENES
Photograph
ICCD N5259 (bottom left)
Photograph
ICCD N5296 (bottom left)
Photograph
ICCD N5260 (bottom)
(centuria) RVFI
VARIVS
INGE[---]
Photograph
ICCD N5259 (bottom right)
Photograph
ICCD N5296 (bottom right)
X X X X I
Tally marks.
X X I I
IIIII
Surely modern ?!
Tallymarks
Tally marks.
IIIIIII X IIIII X IIIIII X
Some lines and the text ...XV...
Tallymarks
IV
XIII
* IIIIIIIIIIIIII
I I I I I X I I I I I
Tally marks.
IIII
Tally marks.
HN IIII
IIIIV IIII D
Surely modern ?!
Surely modern ?!
IOCINA
* C C C C C
X X V
* I I I
+ + + +
* + I I
Photograph
ICCD N5268
Photograph
ICCD N5269
X H * I I
Tallymarks
Tally marks.
Tallymarks.
*
X
CX
X
XX
Tallymarks
Small crosses.
XIIII
Tallymarks.
XIIIII.IIIIIII..
LXXXVI.
CALVIUS [---]ILIGIVS EST
POMPTINIVS D[---]ONVS FELIG SIT ICIL ATEDVSIS ETREIIR
ARRIOMMO BONVS EST
CALVVS CEPIDIAM PVELLAM ET DARE AIONVVS
ET MVLIERII TVVS IOLI ET SETIMINVS 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.
SIICVNDE
PALICAR
PVS IIS
Secunde, Policarpus es? ("Secundus, you are ...").
ACTORES P ACTI MARTIALIS
OCCANITE ERAVTRYOLI
EMITTIT TIBYRTYO ORAMT
Possibly: "The stewards of Publius Actius Martialis pray that ... releases him from the ocean ... to (his estate in) Tibur".
HOC QUI SCRIP[---]
[---] N [---]GIT INFRA
"He who wrote this ... below".
[---]SVENVSTVSOMOBON\[---]
---iu]s Venustus (h)omo bonu[s] (tus was written above the line).
"... Venustus is a good man".
On a brick.
VIII IDVS SIIPTIIMBRIIS
LICINIVS HOSPIIS VIGVIT
"On September 6 the host Licinius ...".
"Every comer scrawls the walls with his graffiti,
The only one who's written none is me."
"Every comer scrawls the walls with his graffiti,
The only one who's written none is me.
Bugger all these scrawlers! My entreaty
Is to call them epitoechographs [writers on the wall] like me."
MVLVSAMETPATICAM
"The wall loves the perverted woman" (?)
SVIIISAMIVS
Perhaps Sum Samius ("I am from Samos").
STEPI
STEPHANEFASTI
AT RVFIONE
Possibly: "Rufio dislikes Stephanus!" (or the other way around).
OBIILIA SVO
[---]OLATIO VA(le)
"Obelia to her ..., greetings".
The first words of the Aeneid of Vergilius.
"Diogenes the Cynic". Is someone in the building being compared to Diogenes and his doglike behaviour?
A parallel from Rome suggests that the first line contained the names of the seven
planets.
The numbers indicate the days of the month.
The chi-rho monogram.
EX PERSECVNDE DOMINII SALVTIS EME
"Lord give safety from the persecutor". (?)
LEGE ET INTELLIGE MVTV LOQVI AD MACELLV(M)
"Read and understand that a dumb man has recovered his speech in the Market"
A I X C I I H
I L T V
In a mithraeum.
DOMINVS SOL
HIC AVITAT
Dominus Sol | hic avitat = Dominus Sol hic habitat.
"Lord Sun lives here".
The reference is probably to Sol-Mithras.
Photograph by Jan Theo Bakker.
I A N H C A S
L I I A I
I I V C
C H O
In a mithraeum.
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.
X
A A _
M T R I A I H
In a mithraeum.
N I I L _ _ I N
I N _ _ _
In a mithraeum.
C LICINIVS FELIX
D[1]Q TVM[---]
Near a shrine.
C LICINIVS CHO? FELIX
MONNA OMNIBVS SVCC
VRIS FELICITER VII
Near a shrine.
"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.
Marius | Anna | VII Kal Maias (April 25th).
In a shrine.
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).
M MIRENIVS IVLIVS
BVCINATOR COH VII VIG
Mirenius or Myrenius. Bucinator means trumpeter.
In a shrine.
In a shrine.
]a tutus | ?um? sicinius [fide?]lis clodius floridianus | mantius fel[i]x feliciter.
In a shrine.
Coh(orte) VII (or VI) (centuria) Ost(iensis) imp(erante)
An(tonino) co(n)s(ulibus) L[a]eto et Ce
riale sebarius
Calpurnius, X.
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.
Photograph by Jan Theo Bakker.
AELIVS MASVETVS
EX ACTVS LATER[---]VM
Near a shrine.
[---]DISIVS or I/STVS
Near a shrine.
Ceriale.
A short way to indicate the year 215 AD, Cerialis being one of the two eponymous consuls.
In a shrine.
CLAVDI[---]
Q MARCIY FELIX
Near a shrine.
TMARCIVS
INGIINVS
SIIRVS DIIVORVM
OMMO BONVS
T. Marcius
ingenu[u]s (or Ingenu[u]s)
servus de{v}orum
[h]om{m}o bonus.
"T. Marcius Ingenu(u)s [a free man], slave of the deified Emperors, a good man".
Note the intentional opposition between ingenuus and servus.
Photograph
ICCD N14879
SVLPICIVS
SILVINVS
NONAS
FECIT
Near a shrine.
IVLIVS FAVSTIN[---]
MIL BUCHI[---]
PRIMIGENIAD[---]
Buchi[nator] is probably bucinator, a trumpeter. PRIMIGENIAD was written across the name Iulius Faustinus.
In a shrine.
C SALVIVS OPTATVS
Near a shrine.
VT A[_ _ _ _ _ _ ]SIT
PRO SALVTE SVA
ET SVORVM
XII KAL(ENDAS) AVG[u]STAS (July 21)
PROMISIT VOTVM
LVCCEIA PRIMITIVA
FORTVNAE TAVRIA
NENSI
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).
Photograph
(only the last five rows can be seen on this photograph).
MERCVR VLS P CO
AES SOLVVIMVS
Mercur(io) v(otum) l(ibens) s(olvit) or s(olverunt) ...
About the fulfilment of a vow to Mercurius.
Photograph
ICCD N5249
Photograph
ICCD N5253
SATVR
On a marble fragment.
"Righteous Hermes (Mercurius), bring profit to Hektikos."
Idus Dec (?) | XV Kal Nov (December 13th; October 18th).
On the back wall of the niche of a lararium.
Photograph by Jan Theo Bakker.
NEPTUNE [--] E
HERMAE
On a brick of a pier of the main entrance to a building. Later covered with plaster.
A boat?
The prow of a boat?
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.
Possibly a ship's rigging.
A boat.
Part of a boat?
A boat with full rigging.
The prow of a boat.
A boat.
A boat.
A ship.
Photograph
ICCD N5259
Photograph
ICCD N5296
The prow of a boat.
Possibly a boat.
A boat.
A boat.
A boat.
A boat.
Photograph
ICCD N5289
A boat.
The rigging of a boat?
Near "boats drawn with a very light hand, with great attention given to the details of the keel and sails."
A boat.
A person in a small boat.
Photograph
A boat.
ABI
"Go!" Next to a drawing of a ship.
A boat. The short mast at one end of the boat indicates that it is a tow-boat.
Photograph
A prow of a boat.
A tower with a pyramidal shape, perhaps a crane, and the letters IRIIN.
A drawing of a crane?
A tower with a pyramidal shape, perhaps a crane.
A crane?
A structure looking like a tower.
A crane?
A structure looking like a tower or an obelisk, and the letters MAXI in a tabula ansata.
A crane.
XV KAL A.
ROMA.
JALISVS SAALBIVS SAINIIEMIIIIA
PEPERIT INSANVSAICAVEIE PIITVVQVIIDII
CAVERNE
A MARIT
In a tabula ansata.
Photograph
ICCD N5407 (bottom)
O _ A N C R O
V I F D
Photograph
ICCD N5407 (top)
V E I _ I
C X G I I I I
W
T
VITIASVA
A reference to vices?
VATIITIIRII
I I I V M A T I L L S I A I
and
have been suggested for lines 4-6.
Photograph
ICCD N5390
Text.
MORIIM SAN
"The conduct ...".
[---] CISTI. IIXXI
[---] LAVIAM
[---] A VCIMI CACIIS
DIO [---] SCIRE
ESSEQV ADVTE
QVO NON FACITI INVRIAM
About injustice?
EVT
Text and/or a drawing.
(ian/febr)VARIAS
Either a name or a month.
Text.
ROMA
Possibly text.
On bricks.
GOMIIMIIMINI FVISSIIT
[---]RDVS
C N V _ M
N A _ K A O P I R E
I I V _
MA
* +
X X I
I I X O
Photograph
ICCD N5269
Many letters.
M E T A T V
LHL
Three (Greek?) letters.
Dructus
V T R _
ecare pod
From the floor of the latrine.
Two lines of Greek (?) text.
Two lines of Greek text.
ROMAN
VS FELIX
A E V T V S
Ianuarias?
A single line of text
Two lines of Greek text.
Three lines of (Greek?) text.
Two lines of text.
XIA *
A few letters.
Photograph by Jan Theo Bakker.
[---]YLL[---]
[---]XXX\[---]
S
QVA
AMA PVERVM
FVGII ORODIIRASIO DII SIICVS ICMI
MII
DVTI[---]CISIS MLE
Line 2 was written in the right half of the graffito.
BVBINNI
VIRTVS
NERONII EMAOPII
NECA DIGNA PO
A reference to the Emperor Nero?
ANNA SX IIIV
AKSA
N
NIHILI PHPHOR
PERFIXI
From perfigo, to pierce through?
A few lines.
A few lines.
A few lines.
Concentric circles and some lines.
Lines.
Lines.
Lines.
Grooves.
A drawing.
A drawing.
A rectangle.
A rectangle.
Drawing.
Drawing.
Drawing.
Drawing.
A few lines.
Drawing.
Drawing.
A few lines.
Drawing.
Curved lines.
Photograph
A few lines.
An amphora?
An amphora?
An amphora.
ROMA
Written near the beginning of the word game ROMA TIBI.
PRIMA LITIIRA SIMILIS IIST QVARTII SIMILIS IIT QVINTA
SIICVNDAII TIIRTI [---] CVM SIIXTA NOMINA
NOMINA
QVAIIS TA HOC VIIRSICVLO CITTIIRIIDII
TAN
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 indicates SIMILIS IIT QV and the second, CVM SIIXTA
The beginning of a versus recurrens (palindrome) by Sidonius Appolinaris
(c. 430 – after 489 AD): Roma tibi subito motibus ibit amor ("Rome,
your love, will suddenly collapse in disturbances").
LITTIIRA PRIMA DOLIIT LVBIIT
ALTIIRA TIIRTIA MITTIT QUARTA DOLIIT
FACTI QUINTA HABIIT INVIDIAM
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, iubet
altera, tertia mittit, quarta docet,
facti quinta habet invidiam.
He also suggests that the five letters form a word.
Littera prima dolet: a ("Ah!")
iubet altera: s, pronounced as es ("Be!"), from
esse
tertia mittit: i ("Go!"), from ire
quarta docet: n, pronounced as en ("See there!")
facti quinta habet invidiam: e ("Alas!")
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".
Photograph
ICCD E40728
This is a word-square and palindrome. The text can be read in four directions.