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After the eruption of Vesuvius on August 24, 79 AD, the entire city of Pompeii in the Gulf of Naples was buried under a layer of volcanic ash and forgotten until the middle of the XVIII century. Today, the city of Pompeii is one of the most significant archaeological sites, because when volcanic gas and ash ruined the entire town, it was “preserved” for thousands of years. This paper will discuss Pompeii’s political and economic life based on graffiti and the most interesting inscriptions.
An analysis of graffiti in Pompeii may highlight several details about the political life of the city. There was graffiti about election appeals written by Romans; usually, they contained only the names of possible candidates. The candidate’s name in the elections was mentioned by various parties of people, indicating the diversity of political views. According to the frequency of inscriptions, it is possible to think that the candidate’s moral status for the citizen of Pompeii was more critical than his promises and future aspirations. Citizens mostly mentioned the professional skills of candidates and their achievements. Some graffiti indicated specific positions, such as aedile and duumvir, who were elected for the junior and senior offices in the town council, according to historical notes (“Duties,” n.d.). The main feature that can be observed in captions is the variety of stakeholders who supported one or another candidate, suggesting that political life in Pompeii was unique without the interventions of monarchs.
Considering the economic life that graffiti in Pompeii indicates, one can say that the city had different industries and services. People were renting apartments and shops, which on the walls, people could read advertisements about upcoming gladiator fights, warning about thieves in shops, and announcements about the gambling games. Furthermore, there were reviews on public places and ads about events in the amphitheater of the city, emphasizing the development of the entertainment sphere as well as trade services. The city was prosperous and emerging because people moved from one place to another and opened new shops, indicating that the economy was developing, and the demand for products was present.
Analysts sometimes call ancient Roman graffiti on the ruins of Pompeii’s city the forerunner of social networks. The most exciting inscriptions in Pompeii are the mentions of politicians, elections, and various other topics that can be seen together. The ancient Romans reported the neighbors, where are the best sites for drinking, some talked about their love affairs unashamedly, others noted philosophical conclusions. A quote, “The smallest evil if neglected, will reach the greatest proportions,” indicates judgment that might have added knowledge to jurisprudence; and still have disputes around it (Lafrance, 2016). What should be noted about all inscriptions is that such records are posted currently on social media. Therefore, in Pompeii and nowadays, various people with enthusiasm continue writing on the walls, including poor and rich, noble, and slaves, that unite diverse groups of people.
To conclude, one can say that the life of Pompeii was unique, diverse, and developed. The relative anonymity of the graffiti, equalizing all citizens of the city, gave freedom to the primary impulses of people who were free to discuss social, political, and economic issues that have influenced their daily life. The unique inscriptions provided starting points of social judgments and philosophical thoughts that remain relevant.
References
“Duties”. Pompeian politics, no date, 2020. Web.
Lafrance, Adrienne. (2016). “Pompeii’s graffiti and the ancient origins of social media.” The Atlantic, Web.
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