A few years ago, those who painted walls, buildings, wagons... were called hooligans and were persecuted, today things have changed and they already have spaces where they can develop their urban art and are even hired to decorate the shutters of some shops once canvases of his nocturnal escapades. Well, the germ of these graffiti artists could well be in those in charge of pasting electoral posters in Ancient Rome. It was not something that was left to chance, but they were very organized —like almost everything in the big city—. Groups of followers and even people hired for the occasion, walked the streets to look for the best "shop windows" where they could stamp graffiti (graffiti) selling the excellence of their candidate or taking out the dirty laundry of their opponents. If you had the approval of the owner of the facades or walls where the graffiti was going to be stamped, you acted in broad daylight and two volunteers or hired people intervened:the dealbator (bleach), who was in charge of painting the wall white to highlight the message, and the scriptor , the graffiti artist himself. Otherwise, it was necessary to act under the cover of the moon and one more person was needed:the laternarius , to light and watch. When the owner of the facade saw the graffiti in the morning, he had two options:let it go, usually if he was a supporter of the candidate alluded to in the graffiti, or hire another dealbator to cover up the graffiti —who knows if it wasn't the same one—.
Vesonio Primo requests the election of Ígneo Helio as aedile, a man worthy of public office.
Vote for Lucio Cesernino duumviro de Nuceria, I beg you:he is a good man.
Although during the electoral campaigns it was the time when more walls were decorated/stained, it was common to find graffiti throughout the city in which citizens expressed themselves freely. Sex, love, anger, humor, philosophy… any subject matter. And good proof of this are the thousands of graffiti found in Pompeii and preserved thanks to the eruption of Vesuvius in the year 79. Here is a small sample...
-I peed on the bed. I confess, I have committed a
sin, but if you ask me, guest, the reason, I will tell you:
I did not have a urinal.
-A small problem becomes a big one if it is ignored.
/>-Whoever makes love with boys and girls without limit
or measure does not manage their money well.
-Oh, walls! You've put up with so many boring graffiti
I'm amazed you haven't broken down.
-I'm yours for two bronze aces.
-Cruel Lalagus, why don't you love me?
-Celadus the Thracian makes girls sigh
-Weep, girls. My penis has given up on you. Now pierce men's butts.
-Cosmo, big invert and sucker.
-If someone doesn't believe in Venus, they should look at my girlfriend.
-Atimetus got me pregnant.
/>-Restituta, take off your robe and show off your hairy parts.
-You can have a drink here for just one coin. For
two, a better wine, and for four coins, one Falerno
