Stele of Eroticus and Fannia Voluptuas

[Caballo]

This is now my favourite Roman civilian stone ...(thanks to Mary Beard (blog below) )




Calidius Eroticus sibi et Fanniae Voluptati vivus fecit.

‘copo, computemus.’
‘habes vini sextarium unum, panem asse uno, pulmentarium assibus duobus.’
‘convenit.’
‘puellam, assibus octo.’
‘et hoc convenit.’
‘faenum mulo, assibus duobus.’
‘iste mulus me ad factum dabit

Translated as....

Lucius Calidius Eroticus made [this monument], while he was still alive, for himself and for Fannia Voluptas.

‘Innkeeper! Let’s work out the bill!’
‘You’ve had a sextarius of wine, and bread: one as. Relish, two asses.’
‘Okay.’
‘The girl, eight asses.’
‘That’s okay too.’
‘Hay for the mule, two asses.’
‘That bloody mule will be the ruin of me.’


From Mary Beard's blog http://timesonline.typepad.com/dons_life....html#more
One of the real stars of "Meet the Romans" has been the innkeeper Lucius Calidius Eroticus ("Mr Hot Sex") along with his wife, Fannia Voluptas ("Madame Gorgeous"). We took a quick look at their tombstone.. and wondered about what the names (trade names, pretty obviously) said about ancient pub culture.

We didn't have time to look at the rest of the stone, which has more to tell of story. You can see the whole thing at the top. At the bottom, there is a little sculptured scene of a man with a mule (or whatever... small equid). He's dressed in a travellers cloak with a hood, and he's handing over cash to a man on the left, who's presumably Eroticus.

And between the names at the top and the picture at the bottom, there is a little dialogue of 'life in the bar'. A customer (the guy in the cloak) is settling his bill. It goes like this . . .

Customer: "Innkeeper. Let's work out the bill"

Innkeeper: "You've got a sextarius of wine there, that's one as <'as'= small unit of Roman currency>. Bread, one as. And the dips, two asses."

Customer: "That's right"

Innkeeper: "You had a girl. That's eight asses"

Customer: "That's right too."

Innkeeper: "And hay for the mule. Two asses."

Customer: "That mule will be the ruin of me"

It's another nice glimpse of the jokey culture of the Roman bar.

This is how the Latin goes:

L. Calidius Eroticus sibi et Fanniae Voluptati vivus fecit.

‘copo, computemus.’
‘habes vini sextarium unum, panem asse uno, pulmentarium assibus duobus.’
‘convenit.’
‘puellam, assibus octo.’
‘et hoc convenit.’
‘faenum mulo, assibus duobus.’
‘iste mulus me ad factum dabit.

One tricky word is "pulmentarium". I translated it "dips". Not quite right: it means "what goes with bread". The dictionary says "relishes"... my American friend says "sides".

The original is from Aesernia (in South Italy), but now in the Louvre. Its epigraphic reference is CIL IX, 2689."

[Caballo]

My wife's just pointed out that it proves that Up Pompeii with Frankie Howerd as Lurcio was clearly more authentic than thought at the time!

[M. Caecilius]

My wife's just pointed out that it proves that Up Pompeii with Frankie Howerd as Lurcio was clearly more authentic than thought at the time!

:mrgreen: There's simply no decorum in the forum!

[richsc]

This goes on the caupona wall for Roman Days!

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

Quite a laid back and humorous society, despite how they may be perceived.


thanks for posting the translation! :mrgreen:

[M. Caecilius]

Quite a laid back and humorous society, despite how they may be perceived.

Much to the displeasure of people like St. Augustine who were shocked by the Roman ability to make fun even of their Gods. It's a pity little survives of the Atellan Farce. However, we do have a joke-book of the 4th century: the Philogelos.

[Vindex]

My wife's just pointed out that it proves that Up Pompeii with Frankie Howerd as Lurcio was clearly more authentic than thought at the time!

Ha! Vindicated at last.

Thanks for the stele pic too...perhaps one more piece of evidence for the pack saddle? :wink:

[ANTONIVS MAGNVS]

One of my favorite inscriptions! Thanks for sharing.