Aug 14, 2023

Insults in Pompeian Graffiti

Over 10 000 wall inscriptions have been discovered in Pompeii. Some of them were painted (dipinto), some scratched in stone or plaster (graffito) and some were made with charcoal or chalk, for example. There are a couple hundred writings that can be interpreted as insults such as the one seen in the photo: Leporis fellas, Leporis, you suck dick. I've collected some examples of these in the list below. All translations are my own.

NB: The Latin word cinaedus is difficult to translate. As an insult it usually meant a male prostitute or a man penetrated in anal sex. Such men were considered perverse, feminine and generally immoral. For lack of a better word I will use 'queer' in my translations.

CIL IV = Corpus inscriptionum Latinarum, vol. 4, Berlin, 1871–.

CIL IV 763
Asbestus cunnum linges Asbestus, you lick cunt.
In a public bath (VII 1,8), written with chalk
CIL IV 1253
Iustus Lemnio felatore[i?] sal(utem)
Iustus greets Lemnius the cocksucker.
Exterior wall (VI 8,3–4), graffito
CIL IV 1388a
Timele extaliosa Thymele has a big ass.
Exterior wall (VI 11,15–16), graffito
CIL IV 1391
Veneria Maximo mentla(m) exmuccaut per vindemiam tota(m) et relinque(t) putr(em) ventre(m) mucei os plenu(m) Veneria licked clean Maximus' cock during the whole harvest and left her stomach putrid and her mouth full of slime.
Exterior wall (VI 11,16), graffito
CIL IV 1516
hic ego nu[nc f]utui formosa(m) fo[r]ma puella(m) laudata(m) a multis set lutus intus {e}erat Here I fucked a girl with a nice appearance. She was praised by many but there was muck inside.
Exterior wall (VI 14,43), graffito. The beginning is repeated in CIL IV 1517. Poetic meter: elegiac couplet.
CIL IV 1772
Secundus Cararii cinedus Secundus, slave of Cararius, is a queer.
Exterior wall (VII 7,32, Temple of Apollo), graffito
CIL IV 1816
Epaphra glaber es Epaphras, you're hairless.
In the basilica (VIII 1,1), graffito
CIL IV 1820
Chie opto tibi ut refricent se ficus tuae ut peius ustulentur quam ustulatae sunt Chius, I hope your piles rub open again so that they become inflamed worse than before.
In the basilica (VIII 1,1), graffito
CIL IV 1825
Cosmus Equitiaes magnus cinaedus et fellator est suris apertis Cosmus, the slave of Equitia, is a big queer and a cocksucker with legs wide open.
In the basilica (VIII 1,1), graffito
CIL IV 1826
Phileros spado Phileros is a eunuch.
In the basilica (VIII 1,1), graffito. Below the graffito a man with a large penis was drawn.
CIL IV 1850
Phoebus felat Phoebus sucks cock.
In the basilica (VIII 1,1), graffito
CIL IV 1881
Virgula Tertio suo indecens es Virgula to his friend Tertius: you're shameless.
In the basilica (VIII 1,1), graffito. Virgula is usually a male name.
CIL IV 1948
Lucilla ex corpore lucrum faciebat Lucilla made profit with her body.
In the basilica (VIII 1,1), graffito
CIL IV 1949
Oppi emboliari fur furuncule Oppius, you buffoon, thief, pilferer.
In the basilica (VIII 1,1), graffito
CIL IV 2254
Ratio mi cum ponis Batacare te pidicaro When you pay me, Batacarus, I will fuck you in the ass.
In a brothel (VII 12,18), graffito. Accompanied by a drawing of a phallus.
CIL IV 2275
Fortunata fellat Fortunata sucks cock.
In a brothel (VII 12,18), graffito
CIL IV 2288
Synethus Faustillam futuit obiqe rite Synethus fucked Faustilla well everywhere.
In a brothel (VII 12,18), graffito
CIL IV 2375
Ampliate Icarus te pedicat Salvius scripsit Ampliatus, Icarus fucks you in the ass. Salvius wrote (this).
In a private house (I 4,5), graffito
CIL IV 2400
Satur noli cunnum lingere extra porta(m) set intra porta(m) rogat te Arpogra ut sibi lingas mentula(m) at fellator quid Satur, don't lick cunts outside of the gate but inside. Harpocras asks you to lick his cock, but cocksucker what...
In a private house (IX 1,22), graffito
CIL IV 2420
Astus hic pedicatur Astus is fucked in the ass here.
Theater corridor (VIII 7,20), graffito
CIL IV 3103
Verecundus [- - -] mentla(m) ling(it) Verecundus ... licks cock.
Exterior wall (VII 3,27–28), graffito
CIL IV 3146
Secundus hicacat hi[- - -]at hic cacat Secundus shits here, shits here, shits here.
In a private house (VII 2,3), graffito
CIL IV 3925
Saturnine cunnum lingere noli Saturninus, don't lick cunt.
Exterior wall (I 2,19), graffito
CIL IV 3990
L(ucius) Statius ((mulieris)) l(ibertus) Philadelpus fur est Lucius Statius Philadelphus, a freedman of a woman, is a thief.
In a private house (I 3,3), graffito
CIL IV 4001
Glyco halicaria Glyco is a mill whore.
In a bakery (IX 3,5), graffito
CIL IV 4185
Sabina felas no(n) belle faces Sabina, you suck cock, but you don't do it well (or: that's not nice).
In a private house (V 2,i), graffito
CIL IV 4192
Ecidia fellatrix Ecidia is a cocksucker.
In a private house (V 2,i), graffito
CIL IV 4206
Helene cina(ede) vetusc(ule) Helenus, you old queer.
In a private house (V 2,i), graffito
CIL IV 4264
Iucundus cunum lingit Rusticae Iucundus licks Rustica's cunt.
Exterior wall (V 2,a–b), graffito
CIL IV 4533
G(aius) Hadius Ventrio eques natus Romanus inter beta(m) et brassica(m) Gaius Adius Ventrio, a knight, was born a Roman between a beat and a cabbage.
In a private house (VI 14,37), graffito
CIL IV 4699
Isidorus verna Putiolanus cunnuliggeter geter Isidorus, a homeborn slave, from Puteoli is a cuntlicker... cker.
Exterior wall (VI 15,26), graffito
CIL IV 4765
Aephebe ardalio es Ephebus, you're a busybody.
In a private house (VII 7,5), graffito
CIL IV 4954
Fortunate linge culu[m] Fortunatus, lick ass!
Exterior wall (VIII 6,6–7), graffito
CIL IV 4957
Miximus in lecto fateor peccavimus hospes si dices quare nulla matella fuit We peed in the bed, we confess; we did wrong, host. If you ask why, there was no chamber pot.
Exterior wall (VIII 6,7), graffito. Poetic meter: elegiac couplet. Read more on Twitter.
CIL IV 5110
Eracla fur Heracla is a thief.
In a private house (IX 5,18), graffito
CIL IV 5148
Romulus cal'v'os Romulus is pretty bald.
Exterior wall (IX 5,19), graffito. The graffito originally read calos but someone added a small letter v turning the word into calvos which sounds like calvus (bald).
CIL IV 5244
Marthae hoc trichilinium est nam in trichilino cacat This is Martha's dining room because she shits in the dining room.
In a latrine of a private house (IX 8,6), graffito
CIL IV 5263
Lenas cunnulingus Lenas, the cuntlicker.
In a private house (IX 9,12.13), graffito
CIL IV 5278
ling[- - -] mentula(m) Ptolomaeus Lick cock, Ptolemaeus!
In a private house (IX 9,12.13), graffito, accompanied by a drawing of a phallus.
CIL IV 7089
imanis metula es You're a huge dick.
Exterior wall (V 7,7), graffito. Can also be interpreted as imanis, metula, es 'Dick, you're huge' or imanis metula es(t) 'The dick is huge'. Read more on Twitter.
CIL IV 8322k
Somene nequ(am) Somene is worthless.
In a private house (I 10,4), graffito
CIL IV 8698
Vettius cu[n]num liget Optatus Vettius licks cunt. Optatus (wrote this?)
In a column of the palestra (II 7,1–10), graffito
CIL IV 8715b
Iucu(n)dus male cala(t) Iucundus fucks badly.
In a column of the palestra (II 7,1–10), graffito
CIL IV 8805
VII idus sep[tem]bres Q(uintus) Postumius rogavit (ut?) A(ulum) Attium pedicarim On September 7th Quintus Postumius asked me to fuck Aulus Attius.
In a column of the palestra (II 7,1–10), graffito
CIL IV 8841
Martialis fellas Proculum Martialis, you suck Proculus' cock.
Exterior wall (III 3,6), graffito
CIL IV 8898
Tiopilus canis cunnu(m) lingere noli puellis in muro Theophilus, you dog, don't lick girls' cunts next to the wall.
Exterior wall (III 5,3), graffito
CIL IV 9027
Secundus felator rarus Secundus is a rare kind of cocksucker.
In a private house (VII 6,28), graffito
CIL IV 9945
Erotaria vetula selotia Erotarin, you jealous old crone.
Necropolis of Porta Nocera, exterior wall of tomb 4EN, dipinto, selotia = zelotypa(?).
CIL IV 9228
Secundilla felatrix Secundilla is a cocksucker.
Atrium of Villa dei Misteri, graffito
CIL IV 10004
Eupla laxa landicosa Euplia is loose and has a huge clitoris.
In a private house (I 9,5), graffito
CIL IV 10041d
Piramo cotttdie linguo I lick Pyramus' dick every day.
In a private house (I 11,14), graffito
CIL IV 10093c
Brutus canis est Brutus is a dog.
In the entrance to a private house (II 1,10), graffito
CIL IV 10150
[cum] de[c]oxisti octies tibi superat ut (h)abeas sedecies coponium fecisti cretaria fecisti salsamentaria fecisti pistorium fecisti agricola fuisti aere minutaria fecisti propola fuisti laguncularia nunc facis si cunnu(m) linxse{e}ris consummaris omnia Now that you've gone bankrupt eight times, it remains for you to do it sixteen times. You've worked as an innkeeper, sold chalk and salted fish, you wer a baker and a farmer, sold small bronze items, worked as a retailer, and now you make small bottles. If you lick cunt, you will have done it all.
Exterior wall (II 4,10), graffito, written in one long line.
Julkaisematon
Leporis felas Leporis, you suck dick.
At the entrance to a private house (V 3, Casa del Giardino), graffito
Julkaisematon
Nicia cinede cacator. Nicia, you're a queer and a defecator.
In a bar (V 3, thermopolium), graffito

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