Corrections to Oh Happy Place! Pompeii in 1000 graffiti

Oh Happy Place! Pompeii in 1000 graffiti, written by assistant professor Vincent Hunink from Radboud University, is one of the largest collections of Pompeian graffiti accessible to readers in English. The book consists of an introduction, over 1000 graffiti, and indeces. The graffiti are presented with their original Latin or Greek text, a translation by Hunink, and basic information such as their original location in Pompeii, a reference to the CIL edition, and some commentary on the form, content and context of the graffiti. Hunink's book is clearly structured, easy to read and useful for non-expert readers who are interested in Pompeian graffiti.

The book, however, contains a number of errors, especially concerning the location of the graffiti. Below is a list of the ones that I've encountered. I provide comments and corrections based on my own research and secondary literature on Pompeian graffiti. If you are aware of other errors, or find mistakes in my comments and corrections, please let me know (joovan@utu.fi).

I hope this list will benefit the readers of Hunink's book who might use it as a reference in their own work and research.

No.	Printed text	Comments / corrections
Map	Reg. VIII 5 & 6	The block numbered VIII 5 & 6 in the map is VIII 5. The block to the south of that block is VIII 6. (cf. CTP vol. 5, 511–512; map of Eschebach & Müller-Trollius 1991)
7	I,2,19 (latrine)	Exterior wall, to the right of door I,2,19 (cf. CIL IV 3918–3925)
8	I,2,19 (latrine)	Exterior wall, to the left of door I,2,19 (cf. CIL IV 3918–3925)
9	I,2,19 (latrine)	Exterior wall, between doors I,2,19–20 (cf. CIL IV 3926–3931)
20	I,3,27 (bakery; in the small room near the entrance)	In the first room on the south side (cf. CIL IV p. 1796; a part of the graffito was still visible in situ in 2022)
24	I,4,5 (House of the cither player; in the middle peristyle)	In the kitchen/latrine (cf. CIL IV 2375: prope sellam familiaricam; CIL IV p. 220; CIL  IV p. 1761)
29	I,6 (west side)	VIII,3,9, shop (cf. CIL IV 4924–4925)
32–33	I,6,13–14 (House of Stallius Eros)	North wall of I,3 or south wall of I,4 (cf. CIL IV p. 1788)
85	I,10,4 (House of the Menander; in the tablinum, north wall)	North wall of the peristyle, doorpost to the east of the tablinum. The graffito was still visible in situ in 2022.
89	AVE IANVARIA FILAS IA NOX I,10,4 (House of the Menander; in the rear entrance)	Varone 2012, 76 reads: Ave / Ianuaria filas / Iano X IIIIIIII (i.e. you suck Ianus' cock). Exterior wall, to the left of door I,10,5.
92	XVRIKILLA	For interpretations of the word xurikilla see Varone 2012, 77 and Wachter 2019, 422–423.
103–105	I,11	The insula that was I,11 in CIL was later renumbered as insula I,19. The adresses should be I,19,2, I,19,4 and I,19,5. (cf. CTP vol. 5, 511–512; pompeiiinpictures.com)
113–118	I,12	The insula that was I,12 in CIL was later renumbered as insula I,17. The adresses should be I,17,1–2 and I,17,3. (cf. CTP vol. 5, 511–512; pompeiiinpictures.com)
123	LESBIANE CACAS SCRIBISQVE (SA)LVTE I,13,10 (shop, in the entrance) [*]	Varone 2012, 88 reads: Lesbiane cacas scribit qui valuit. To the left of entrance I,13,9 (cf. Varone 2012, 88: I 13, 9; CIL IV 10070: Ad sin. ostii in picturae Veneris navem repraesentantis [the painting of the ship of Venus was in I,13,9])
124	I,13,10 (shop, in the entrance) [*]	To the right of entrance I,13,9 (see no. 123 above)
134	CIL IV 10078	CIL IV 10078a
142	II,1,10 (in the garden)	In the corridor leading from the entrance to the garden (cf. CIL IV 10087–10090)
154	II,2,3	The insula that was II,2 in CIL was later renumbered. This graffito is now in I,12,3. (cf. CTP vol. 5, 511–512; pompeiiinpictures.com)
155	II,2,5	The insula that was II,2 in CIL was later renumbered. This graffito is now in I,12,5. (cf. CTP vol. 5, 511–512; pompeiiinpictures.com)
158	II,3	To the right of altar II,4,7a. The altar is in the NE corner of II,4.
165	LIGE ASPASIA Lick, Aspasia!	A drawing of a phallus between the words LIGE and ASPASIA (cf. CIL IV 10129)
175	II,5,3	III,5,3 (cf. CIL IV 8898)
194	LVCIDAE SVAE VBIQVE SAL	Line break missing between SVAE and VBIQVE.
289	MIDVSE FVTVTRIX	Solin and Varone read: MEROE FVTVTRIX (cf. Solin 2012, 19 note 42; Varone 2012, 224; CIL IV p. 1814)
364a	VI,2,16-21	VII,2,16 (cf. CIL IV p. 1756)
382	VI,9,3	Between doors VI,9,5–6 (cf. CIL IV p. 206, 1646)
386	VI,9 (near VI,9,14; façade)	To the right of VI,9,7 (cf. CIL IV p. 206, 1646)
386a	VI,9 (near VI,9,14; façade)	VI,9,1–2 (cf. CIL IV p. 1646: 1333–1365 Tit. rep. inter VI 9, 1 et 2, ut patet ex testimonio PAH III 152, 29 (a. 1839))
397	ISIDORVM AED (ORO) V(OS) FAC(IATIS) OPTIME CVNV LINCET (...)	Solin and Wachter suggest the reading: Isidorum a(ssibus) III Demo[- - -] optime cunu lincet ++++++++++ (cf. CIL IV p. 1655; Wachter 2019, 463)
401	VI,11,15 (brothel; to the right of entrance)	To the right of entrance VI,11,16 (cf. CIL IV p. 463)
408	VI,13,2 (to the left of entrance)	To the left of entrance VI,13,21 (cf. CIL IV p. 1658: Tit. rep. VI 13, 21 ad sinistram aditus)
413	on a column in the peristyle	In the entrance corridor (cf. CIL IV 1510)
450	M(ALVM) CACATOR	CAVE M(ALVM) CACATOR (cf. CIL IV 4586)
451	VI,15 (north wall of the block)	West wall of the block (cf. CIL IV 4697–4699)
512–514	VII,1,40	VII,12,14 (cf. CIL IV 1700–1710; CIL IV p. 1683: 1700–1710 Tit. rep. in aedibus VII 12, 14)
521	VII,2 (exact location unknown; ...	VII,2,51 (CIL p. 548 lacks door number, but it can be inferred from Giornale degli Scavi 1868, 91–92; cf. CIL IV p. 1845: 4701–4704 Tit. rep. in aedium VII 2, 51 (aedium numerum omittit MAU, qui numerus patet ex BRIZIO))
528	VII,2,16–17	VII,2,17–18 (cf. CIL IV p. 1784: 3117–3120b Tit. rep. in pariete externo inter ost. VII 2, 17 et 18)
545	VII,4,57	VII,4,48 (cf. CIL IV 1576–1578: in aedibus n. 14 (della caccia); CIL IV p. 1671: 1578 Tit. rep. in aedium VII 4, 48 membri 9 ... pariete septentrionali)
563–564	in a small room of the rear peristyle	On the eastern wall of the peristyle (cf. CIL IV 4718–4722; CIL IV p. 1846)
565–566	in a small room of the rear peristyle	On a column in the peristyle (cf. CIL IV 4725–4729; CIL IV p. 1846)
585	along the south wall of the colonnade	Southern wall of the northern portico (cf. CIL IV 1969; CIL IV p. 1720)
595	VII,10 (northeastern corner of the block)	NE corner of VII,13 (cf. CIL IV 2028; CIL IV p. 1725; the graffito was still visible in situ in 2022)
692	VII (unknown location)	To the left of altar VII,7,22 (cf. CIL IV 1651: Ad sinistram arae Larum tab. A 92 [location of 92 is shown in Zangemeister's map]; CIL IV p. 1679: Tit. rep. ad sinistram arae Iovis VII 7, 22)
737	Translation: Virgula to her Tertius...	Virgula is more likely a male name. (cf. Kajanto 1965, 337)
740	Translation: He who visited my cock...	vissire = fart (cf. Adams 1982, 249; Cortney 1995, no. 80; Solin 2017, 266) Milnor 2014, 178 translates ”The man who shits a dick...".
769–773	VIII,1,3–4 (Temple of Venus)	VII,7,31–36, Temple of Apollo (formerly called temple of Venus; cf. CIL IV p. 1764–1773)
780–781	VIII,4	VII,1,8 (cf. CIL IV 759–763: in thermis Stabianis)
781	VIII,4	in one of the rooms on the north side of the palestra, a latrine (cf. Marquardt 1881, 294–295: Raum (26), dessen von Michaelis genau beschrieben Enrichtungen mit Sicherheit eine Latrina erkenne lassen.)
791	VIII,6,5 (façade)	Door VIII,6,5 later renumbered as VIII 6,6 (cf. CTP vol. 5, 395–396 & endpaper map; map of Eschebach & Müller-Trollius 1991)
792	VIII,6,6 (façade; close to an inn)	Door VIII,6,6 later renumbered as VIII 6,7 (cf. CTP vol. 5, 395–396 & endpaper map; map of Eschebach & Müller-Trollius 1991)
798	two drawings & PARIS ISSE VAL (CIL IV 1085)	As far as I know the drawings were not found together with the painted graffito or even in the same space. The graffito drawings still exist on the north wall of the theatre corridor VII 7,20. The painted graffito CIL IV 1085 was found in the portico behind (or next to?) the stage of the theatre. (cf. CIL IV 1085)
806–815	VIII,7,21	The corridor with the graffiti is VII,7,20; most of these graffiti can still be seen in situ.
822	IX,1,22–29 (House of Cuspius Pansa)	IX,1,24, shop (cf. CIL IV 2409; CIL IV p. 1765)
823	IX,1,22–29 (House of Cuspius Pansa)	IX,1,26, western wall of atrium. The graffito was still visible in situ in 2022.
826	IX,1,22–29 (House of Cuspius Pansa)	Most likely found between doors IX,7,18–19 (cf. CIL IV 3200; Varone 2012, 431–432)
840	IX,2	To the right of IX,2,16 (cf. CIL IV p. 219; CIL IV p. 1760: Tit. rep. ad aedium IX 2, 16 aditus postem dexteriorem; Varone 2012, 425: iuxta ostium IX 2,16)
846	CORESVS FELA(TOR)	Other possible interpretations: CORESVS FELA (imperative), CORESVS FELA(T)
871	IX,5,11 (in the peristyle, on another wall)	On a column (cf. CIL IV 5095)
877–878	IX,5,19 (staircase)	Exterior wall, southwestern corner of IX,5  (cf. CIL IV p. 578; CIL IV p. 1872)
884	IX,6,7 (on the northwest corner of the block; facade)	On the northeast corner (cf. CIL IV 5178 and 3707–3714)

* The expression "in the entrance" can (erroneously) be understood to refer to graffiti on the interior walls of an entrance corridor (fauces). It is of value to note graffiti that are near doorways, but graffiti drawn on the exterior walls of houses should be labeled differently from those actually found in the fauces because of their different spacial contexts and visibility.

References:

Adams 1982 = Adams, J. N., The Latin Sexual Vocabulary, London: Duckworth, 1982.

CIL IV = Corpus inscriptionum Latinarum, vol. 4, Berolini: De Gruyter, 1871–2020.

Courtney 1995 = Courtney, E., Musa Lapidaria: A Selection of Latin Verse Inscriptions (American Philological Association: American Classical Studies, 36), Atlanta, GA: Scholars Press, 1995.

CTP vol. 5 = Corpus Topographicum Pompeianum, Pars 5, Cartography, ed. H. B. Van der Poel, RICA: Rome, 1981.

Kajanto 1965 = Kajanto, I., The Latin Cognomina, (Commentationes Humanarum Litterarum, XXXVI 2), Helsinki: Societas Scientiarum Fennica, 1965.

Marquardt 1881 = Marquardt, J., Das Privatleben der Römer (Handbuch der römischen Alterthümer 7), Leipzig: Verlag von S. Hirzel, 1881.

Milnor 2014 = Milnor, K., Graffiti and the Literary Landscape in Roman Pompeii, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2014.

Solin 2012 = Solin, H., ”Le latiniste Veikko Väänänen” in Veikko Väänänen, latiniste et romaniste : un bilan (Publications romanes de l’Université de Helsinki, 5), ed. Juhani Härmä, Helsinki: University of Helsinki, 2012, 9–67.

Solin 2017 = Solin, H., ”Iscrizioni parietali di Pompei” in La collezione epigrafica: Museo archeologico nazionale di Napoli, eds. Carmela Capaldi & Fausto Zevi. Milano: Electa Napoli, 2017, 246–74.

Varone 2012 = Varone, A., Titulorum Graphio Exaratorum qui in C.I.L. vol. IV collecti sunt : imagines (Studi della Soprintendenza archeologica di Pompei, 31), Roma: ”L’Erma” di Bretschneider, 2012.

Wachter 2019 = Wachter, R., Pompejanische Wandinschriften: Lateinisch - deutsch, Berlin/Boston: De Gruyter, 2019.