Roman 'Comic' Paintings Tell Us Crass Humor Is Timeless

A fresco at the Villa of the Mysteries at the archaeological site of Pompeii, Italy. George Pachantouris / Getty Images

Recent excavations in Pompeii, Italy, in April 2024 uncovered several stunning murals and ancient Roman comic paintings. Although the murals are more appropriate for an academic museum, the "comics" and graffiti offer a raw peek into how ancient Romans lived, fought, loved and died.

A Brief Overview of Roman Comics

Archeologists have been fascinated by the diverse nature of ancient Roman artwork for centuries, but these majestic statues and murals were just snapshots stuck in time. However, as recently as 2024, researchers discovered comic art that has breathed a bit of action and relatable dialogue into these proto-manga masterpieces.

This startling discovery occurred in a small town in Jordan, where researchers found two well-preserved funerary tombs. The walls were covered with hundreds of figures accompanied by "bubble-word" Aramaic inscriptions.

Similar to other findings in Pompeii (where frescoes show whimsical scenes like a drunken man being chased by a donkey, or a silly-looking gladiator preparing for battle), these comics depict daily life and humorous anecdotes that illustrate that, although separated by millennia, modern people are not as different from ancient ancestors as we might assume.

Surprisingly Strong Preservation

Some ancient murals, like those found in Pompeii, have such well-preserved colors that they look almost brand new.

Despite being buried for over 1,500 years under volcanic ash, the vivid pigments in these paintings have survived remarkably intact, giving us a time capsule of ancient artwork.

Diligent archaeologists had to carefully peel back layers of ash and dirt, almost like peeling an onion, to reveal these hidden masterpieces.

Other Archeological Findings at Pompeii and Herculaneum

If you want to learn about ancient Roman street art, you can find more information published on the "Ancient Graffiti Project" site. This resource provides detailed maps and insights into amateur art that reflect the daily thoughts of Roman citizens living during the Flavian dynastic period in 79 C.E.

Roman mural examples found at these ancient sites typically focus on risqué scenes of sexual encounters and nude mythological figures. However, aside from a similar obsession with phallic shapes, amateur artists generally etched their ideas into plaster walls along the cobblestone streets.

The following quotes are just a few examples of art you wouldn't likely find at an antiquities sale, yet these graffiti works reflect many of the themes you might find on a bathroom stall at a local bar today.

"Sanius to Cornelius: Go hang yourself": Yikes, maybe the sign of a neighborly dispute?
"Lucilla made money from her body": This statement was etched outside of a basilica.
"Amplicatus, I know that Icarus is buggering you. Salvius wrote this": This was found written next to a picture of a man with a large nose.
"The finance officer of the emperor Nero says this food is poison": This hints at the thoughts of an ancient food critic.
"Restituta, take off your tunic, please, and show us your hairy privates": Found written on the exterior of a tavern, this shows how little we as a species have matured over the millennia.