Sex, Sight and Societas in the Lupanar, Pompeii

Sarah Levin-Richardson

Appendix: Graffiti in the Lupanar (VII, 12, 18), Pompeii: CIL 2173-2296:
This appendix is derived from information found in the Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum,
volume IV: Inscriptiones Parietariae Pompeianae, Herculanenses, Stabianae. I have transcribed
all inscriptions, in addition to providing translations where applicable.1 Elements of the
inscription that defy translation are placed in brackets in the translation. Comments are in
parenthesis underneath the translation. The placement of the graffiti is also documented in the
CIL for each entry. I have emphasized divisions by rooms and have labeled the rooms with their
standard excavation identification letter. Horizontal lines divide inscriptions on different walls of
the same room. Please see figure 1 for a visual representation of the placement of the graffiti.
As a general note on the graffiti, II usually stands in for E in the graffiti, so BIINII is
really BENE.
CIL 2173-2296: in brothel, in white plaster

ROOM f:
2173: in first cell on the left, on right (western) wall:
SALVI FILIA
Daughter of Salvius
2174: on the same wall, higher, above the bed, which is in the rear of the room:
JJAS CVM MA
GNO VBIQVE
[JJAS] with Magnus everywhere
2175: below 2174 (on the western wall above the bed)
HIC IIGO PVIILLAS MVLTAS
FVTVJ
Here I fucked many girls
2176: same place (below 2174, on western wall above the bed)
FELIX
BIINII FVTVIS
You fuck well, Felix
2177: same place
IKARVS
(male name, Greek origin)
2178: above/behind (pone) 2177:
FACILI S HIC FVTVIT
he/she fucked easily here
1

Michael Dumbra, Jack Mitchell, and Dr. A.M. Devine greatly assisted in working through translation. Any foibles
remain my own.

2
2178a: underneath 2178 in another hand
NICA CRETEISSIANE
Nike from Crete (?)
(female name, Greek origin)
2178b: above this written in another hand
PANTA
(female name perhaps; Greek origin?)
2179: below 2176 (on western wall above the bed)
CALOS PARIS
(male name)
2180: above 2181
CALOS CASTRENSIS S
noble soldier OR noble Castrensis
(Castrensis may be a proper name or simply denote soldier)
2181: underneath 2179 to the right
IARINVS with phallic figure above
(male name)
2182: underneath 2180 in letters eursivis
PHOEBus
(male name, Greek origin)
2183: PVTIIOLANIS FILICITIIR
OMNIBVS NVCHIIRINIS
FIILICIA ET VNCV POMPIIJANIS
PETECVSANIS

'Up with the people of Pozzuoli, up with all the people of Nocera, and down with (lit. a
hook for) the people of Pompei and those of Ischia.' 2
2184: in the letters GO of inscription 2199
PHOEBVS VNGVIINTARIVS
OPT VMII FVT VIIT
Phoebus the perfumer fucks best3
2185: above 2188, under 2175
SolLEMNES
beNE FVTVES
Sollemnes, you fuck well
2186: below 2188
SOLLIIMNES
2
3

Michael Dumbra observed the use of place names, A.M. Devine has graciously provided the translation.
Thanks to Jack Mitchell for translating OPT as best, rather than well.

3
BENE FVTVIIS
Sollemnes, you fuck well
2187: underneath preceding
VITALO
BENII FVTVIIS
Vitalo, you fuck well
2188: underneath 2185
SCORDOPORDONICVS HIC BIINII
FVIT QVIIM
VOLVIT
Scordopordonicus here fucked well whomever he wished
(note that the relative pronoun, QVIIM is masculine, although whether this is
simply a mistake for the feminine quam cannot be known)
2189, 2190: under 2192
2189: HELPIS
2190: V(A)D(A)VO
(male names?)
2191: above 2193, to the right
FVTVJ
I fucked
2192: below 2186
X V I I K JVL
HERMEROS
CVM PHILE
TERO ET CAPHI
SO HIC FVTV
ERVNT

17 days before the Kalens of July

Hermeros with Phileteros and Caphisus fucked here
(the date would be in mid-June)4
2193: below 2189
ARPHOCRAS HIC CVM DRAVCA
BENE FVTVJT DIINARJO
Arphocras here with Drauca
fucked well (for a) denarius
2194: under 2192
PHOEBVS PIIDICO
I, Phoebus, practice paedicare5
4
5

The identification of the date care of Dumbra.

For the meaning of this term, please see section IV of this paper.

4
2195: under 2192, same hand
HERMEROS HIC FVTVIT
Hermeros fucked here
2196: under 2194
LVCR....
(possibly a name)
2197: under 2195
P/DIC APLONIA ///////A\\\\\
BIINII DAT NONIVS
JAVTHRI

(The translation is unclear. APLONIA is a female name, while NONIVS is a male name. The
A surrounded by slash marks may indicate the price of 12 asses. P/DIC may also be a
reference to paedicare.)

2198: under 2194 to the left

BERONICE
//ABENDA
FVTVIIRE
Beronice [//ABENDA] to fuck
2199: under 2190, in front of (?) 2173, in the same hand, in huge letters
FELICLA EGO F
I f-ed Felicla
(The role of Felicla as subject or object is unsure. Grammatically speaking she is in the
nominative case, although leaving off the indicative m of the accusative case is
common in graffiti. In addition, women could not actively commit fututio (see Adams
121), suggesting Felicla is the object here.)6
2200: under 2199 in the same hand
FELICLA EGO HIC FVTVI
I fucked Felicla here
(see above)
2201: in 2199
MARCVS SCEPSINI VBIQVII S(A)L
Marcus [SCEPSINI] everywhere [S(A)L]
2201a: underneath 2199 in another hand
I(A)NV(A)RI(A)E TI
(possibly a name, or reference to the month January)
2202: below 2200
RESTITVTA BELLIS HORIBVS
Restituta with the pretty face
6

Dumbra supports this point.

5
(The 'h' could be a hypercorrect spelling7)
2203: under 2173
FVTVI MVLA HIC
QVID
Here I fucked [MVLA QVID]
(Mula may be a name; see below)
2204: below

Mola the Fucktress

above 2204
I(A)TRIT
(meaning unclear)
--------------------------------2206: on northern wall, to the left of the entrance door
CALLIDROMII VA
(male name)
2207,8: below:
2207: PHOIIBVS
(male name)
2208: SABINVS PROCLO
SALVTIIM
Sabinus (sends/gives?) greeting to Proclus8
2209: under 2208
VICTOR
CVM
Victor with
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------2210, 11, 12: on the left wall (east)
pone 2232 superius
2210: PIIDICARII VOLO
I want to paedicare
2211: VIDIMVS HOC
We saw this
2212: VICTRIX VICTORIAM
Conqueress (to a?) victory
7
8

Devines translation and note.

Thanks to Dumbra for this translation.

2213: below 2212, same hand

CONTIQVERE
(may relate to conticeo, to be silent)9
2214: between 2211 and 2212
NEPTVNALIS
(male name?)
2215: above 2213
CRESSA
(female name?)
2216: under 2214
OC

Mouoaios fucks here

2217: under 2215:
FVTVTA SVM HIC
I was fucked here
(the participle here is feminine)
2218: under 2217:
VICTOR BIINII FVTV......
Victor fucks well
2218a: below 2218:
SOLLIIMNES HIC
Sollemnes here
2219: under 2218:
DECEMBER BENE FVTVIS
You fucked well (in?) December
2220: under 2224
IARINus
(male name)
2221: under 2225
VICTORIE
(perhaps a name)
2222: below 2225 and 2219
9

Noticed by Dumbra.

7
ASBESTVS HIC
Asbestus here
near preceding
FLORVS
(male name)
2224: under 2215
FELIX CVM FORTVNATA
Felix with Fortunata
2225: under 2219 (probably same hand as 2210)
VERA VICTORIA
true victory/ True Victoria10
2226: under 2232
VICTORIA INVICTA HIC
Victoria is unconquered here
2227: under 2233
2227: VICTORIA
(female name)
2227a: I(A)NV(A)RI(A)
(either month (January) or a female name derived from the month)
2228: under 2221 same hand
VICTORIE A V
(name)
2229: under preceding, under 2233
NON ?VG
(meaning unclear)
2230: under the letter G of the preceding
NAIS
sOD(A)LIS
Nais the comrade
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------2231: nearest angle and northern wall, same hand as 2225, 2226, 2227a
IAS MAGNO SALVTE
[IAS] welcomes/greets Magnus
2232: under 2226, same hand as 2224
FELIX FV...PV
10

Thanks to Jack Mitchell for noticing the possible double meaning.

8
CVM
Felix [FV...PV] with
2233: under 2220, same hand as 2225
IANVARIAES
(perhaps a reference to the month January)
2234: below 2239
SCAC
(greek male name)
2235: between 2231 and 2227
MARC(A)
(female name)
2236: IANVARIAE
(perhaps a reference to the month January)
2237: below 2230
MO (phallus) S-L
(meaning unclear)
2238: under 2226
VIINIMUS
We came
2239: under preceding:
VA ISSA
FABIA
(Meaning unclear. Fabia is probably a womans name)
2240: under 2227, under 2239
Q HORTIISSI
(male name)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

IN HALLWAY
2241: on the left wall of the vestibule (southern) between first and second doors of the rooms
POSPHORVS
HIC FVTVIT
Posphorus fucked here
2242: under preceding
EPAGA
THVS FVTVTOR

9
II C
Epagatus the fucker [II C]
2243: same
2243: CADIA
2243a: CLIM
(unknown, perhaps names)

ROOM e:
2244-56: inside of second cell on the left
----------------------------------------------------2244: on the left wall of the door of this cell
FRVETVS
(male name)
2245: below 2244, same hand
FRVCTVS
(male name, see below as well)
2245a: below 2245, same hand
FRVCTVS
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------2246: on the northern wall of the cell, to the left of the entrance, above the bed
HIC HGO CVM VIINI FVTVI
DIIIDII RIIDIII DOIIII
Here I fucked well with and then I went home
(The second line is probably: deinde redii domi11)
2247: under 2246
BELLICVS HIC FVTVIT QVIINDJIII
....VLINTISSIMO RVT
Bellicus fucked here [QVIINDJIII....VLINTISSIMO
2248: same place
picture of a guys face
PHOIIBVS
BONVS FVTOR
Phallic imagery
Phoebus is a good fucker
2249: same place
HYGINVS CVM MESSJO HIC
Hyginus with Messius here
11

Devine translated the second half of the line and provided the note.

RVT]

10
(The form of MESSJO suggests the person was male)
2250: underneath
CAIVS CVJIII JIIIYSINII
JIDICVJIII QVAJIIISIIRVS
(other than the name Gaius, the inscription is indecipherable)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------2251: on left wall (east) above bed, in same hand as 2220
IARINVS
(male name)
2252: under 2251
SYNEROS
(male name, see below)
2253: under 2251
CC
C C
Syneros, you fuck well
(C may go with the proper name, although given the fairly consistent phrasing, I
would argue that the author wrote omicron instead of the adverbial omega.)
-----------------------------------------------------2254: on the back southern wall under the window
(phallus) RATIO MI CVM PONIS
BATACARII TE PEDICARO
ANA
When you hand over the money, Batacare, I practice pedicatio on you12
2255: same place, above the bed
L ANNIVS ///IT
(Probably a male name. The ///IT is unknown.)
2256: on the highest part of the wall, near the window
BIIRONCII
(female name)

IN HALLWAY:
2257: on the left wall of the hallway (southern), to the right of the doorway of the second cell:
FROTO PLAN
LINGIT CVM
NVM
[FROTO PLAN] licked cunt
12

Devines translation.

11

ROOM d:
2258:--2279: First cell on the right side
2258: on the back wall of this cell
VICTOR CVM ATTJNE
HIC FVJT
Victor fucked here with Attine
(Although the grammatically FVJT is from the verb sum, to be, it is often used as a
shorthand for futuit, to fuck. Attine is probably the name of a woman.13)
2258a: under 2258, probably in the same hand
AFRICANVS MORITVR
SCRIBET PVER RVSTICVS
CONDISCES QVI DOLET PRO AFRICANO
Africanus is dying
A rustic boy writes
You learn who grieves for Africanus14
2259: under preceding in another hand
FORTVNATA FILLAT
Fortuna sucks
2260: pone 2258, but in another hand
VICTOR
VALIIA QVI BIINII
FVTVIIS
Victor, you fuck well [VALIIA QVI] 15
2261: under 2259
C
(greek name)
2262: among (infra) preceding
RVSATIA.....ENIBVS HIC
CORVIINIVS
Coruenius with [RVSATIA.....ENIBVS]
2263: under 2261, in another hand
SEVERVS
(male name)
-------------------------------------------------------2264: on left wall
13

Verbal communication with Dumbra.

With help from Dumbra.
15
Another possible translation is Let him fare well who fucks well, from verbal communication with Dumbra.
14

12
SISINISVS
(male name)
2265: to the right of the preceding:
PLACIDVS HIC FVTVIT QVEM VOLVIT
Placidus here fucked whomever he wished
(see 2188 for QVEM VOLVIT)
-----------------------------------------------------2266: on right wall in cursive letters
VIIR
FIIL(A)S
You suck, Man
(VIIR may or may not be VIR, man. Elsewhere in the inscriptions, II stands in for an
e, rather than an i. It would also be unique among the inscriptions to have a
male performing fellatio.)
(in another hand)
FORTVN(A) SIC
(female name)
2267: pone preceding:
LVCRIO
AM(A)SVC....
SARNIISIS
(meaning unclear)
2268: on the same wall:
MYRTALE
CASSACOS
FELLAS
Myrtale, you suck Cassacos
2269: pone 2268
VIIR IITANIIDIA
Man [IITANIIDIA]
2270: infra 2269
C
(greek name)
2271: under 2267
MYRTALE
CCASS/
(see 2268)

13
2272: under 2274
(A)MPLI(A)TVS
(male name)
2273: under 2269, at the edge/farthest (extrema)
MVRTIS BENJI
FELAS
Murtis, you suck well
2274: pone 2268
///// ....BIINII
VALIIAS QVI BIINII FVTVIS
You fuck well [VALIIAS QVI]
(see also 2260)
2275: on the same wall
FORTVNATA FILLAT
Fortunata sucks
2276: under 2268
OAKI
(word/meaning unknown)
2277: pone 2274
IRRVMO SET V.....K.....AS
I irrumo [SET V.....K.....AS] 16
--------------------------------------------------------2278: on the southern wall, to the left of the entrance door
(A)///// NICE FELLAT
Nice sucks it for five asses
2279: underneath
SVAT (A)II
(unknown)

HALLWAY:
2280: between the doors of the cells, which are on the right part of the first and second
CRI S
(unknown)
2281: under preceding in cursive letters
ROM(A)NVS
(male name)
16

See section four of this paper for a description of Irrumatio.

14

2282: under 2281 (written, as it seems, by another hand, with squarish letters17)
VER
(uknown)
2283 which reads 'this frutula' in the same place18
CVI
(unknown)
283a: IC
(unknown)

ROOM c:
2284: in the second cell on the right side
on the left doorpost of the cell
HE
HE
HAC
(unknown)
2285: under, in the same hand as 2288
SYNIITHVS
(male name)
2286: under 2285
CAIVS CVJIII I
(Gaius is a male name, the other part of the inscription is not translatable)
---------------------------------------------------------2287: in the room, above the bedside of the bed
SYNIITHVS
(male name)
----------------------------------2288: on the left wall of the room
SYNIITHVS
FAVSTILLAM
FVTVIT
OBIQERITII
Synethus fucked Faustillam [OBIQERITII]

HALLWAY:
17
18

Dumbra assisted with the translation of the physical description.

Dumbras translation.

15
2289: between the doors of the second and third rooms
COR IS
(unknown)

ROOM b:
2290: on the left doorpost of the third room on the right
CASTRIINSIS
(either a name, or soldier. See also 2180.)
2291: under the preceding, perhaps in the same hand
QVIS
(unknown)

HALLWAY:
2292: on the back wall of the hallway
2292: MYRTIS FIILATRIS
Myrtis (is a) sucker
2293: MYR
(see above; probably the beginning of the same name and/or inscription.)
2294: on the same wall
VICTOR
HAEC SOR
Victor/conquerer [SOR]these things
2295: near the entrance to the room, on the wall to the right of the entrance
which is ex veco from the suspended balcony.
SCAVDI
(unknown)
2296: above preceding
MARCIANVS
(male name)