
Seeing the Writing on the Wall at Pompeii (Thanks to New Photographic Techniques), or, More Graffiti about Sex and Gladiators
From This Week in the Ancient Near East by thisweekintheancientneareast
May 18, 2026 · 40 min · Episode 139
About this episode
The episode discusses new photographic techniques revealing graffiti in Pompeii, including depictions of gladiator fights and lewd poetry.
New photographic techniques have shown that that walls in Pompeii were covered with graffiti, including pictures of gladiator fights, lewd poetry, and inscriptions in non-local languages like Safaitic. So sort of like New York City subways in the 1970s. Who says the past doesn’t repeat itself?
Topics covered
- Pompeii
- graffiti
- photographic techniques
- gladiators
- ancient languages
- history
Keywords
- Pompeii
- graffiti
- gladiators
- photographic techniques
- ancient history
- Safaitic
- lewd poetry
Mentioned in this episode
Books & works: lewd poetry
Places: Pompeii
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