Pompeii: Evidence of Greek presence found

[guy]

New discoveries at Pompeii continue to amaze:
 

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“White hair and part of an ear, along with bones and fabric fragments, were found in the tomb in the necropolis of Porta Sarno, an area not yet open to the public that is located in the east of Pompeii’s urban centre.

The discovery is unusual since most adults were cremated at the time.

An inscription of the tomb suggested that its owner, Marcus Venerius Secundio, helped organise performances in Greek in Pompeii.“

 

 

 

https://www.lbc.co.uk/world-news/6245440115734f6e8f8162383d05c61e/

Edited February 2 by guy

[guy]

Another article on the find:

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”Archaeologists recently discovered the partially mummified skeleton of a former slave in the ancient city of Pompeii. The skeleton, which has been described as one of the "best-preserved skeletons" to ever be found in the city, has both excited and surprised experts.“

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.newsweek.com/partially-mummified-skeleton-white-hair-found-pompeii-surprises-archaeologists-1620253%3famp=1

Latest video on the discovery:

 

 

Edited February 2 by guy

[guy]

Another good article:

 

 

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“Marcus Venerius Secundio was a public slave and custodian of the Temple of Venus. Upon being freed, he clearly reached a high-status position in Roman society, both socially and economically (evident by the monumental quality of his tomb), in addition to joining the ranks of the Augustales, or the college of priests dedicated to the Imperial Cult, as the epigraph recalls he “gave Greek and Latin ludi for the duration of four days’. 

Director of the Archaeological Park of Pompeii, Gabriel Zuchtriegel said: ‘It is the first clear evidence of performances at Pompeii in the Greek language, which had previously been hypothesised on the basis of indirect indicators’.”

https://www.heritagedaily.com/2021/08/tomb-containing-mummified-remains-uncovered-at-pompeii/139913?amp

Edited August 21, 2021 by guy

[guy]

A nice video on the funerary monument:

 

[guy]

I asked Professor Thomas Scanlon to interpret the above monument. Here is his reply (with his permission):

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None of the articles I saw translated the whole inscription, but the summaries are accurate regarding his status as a ‘freedman’, and his offices as temple keeper of Venus (Aedituus Veneris) and a priest of Augustus (Augustalis).  What most intrigued me (and others in reports) is that he “gave four-days-long Greek and Latin Games” (Ludos Graecos et Latinos quadriduo). Ludi can be any number of events, including dramas, poetry readings, choral songs, or (not likely here) gladiator or animal spectacles. I wonder about the Greekness of the games, whether it is Greek plays or poetry or songs, or they are Greek plays done in Latin. Of course Campania is known to be heavily of Greek heritage, and there were wealthy Roman elites there who knew Greek too. 

Thank you, Dr. Tom!

Edited August 21, 2021 by guy