Ancient Roman Amphora Inscription Reveals Virgil’s Enduring Legacy
In an exciting discovery that sheds light on ancient Roman literacy and the enduring popularity of the poet Virgil, researchers have deciphered an inscription etched on a 1,800-year-old pottery fragment. This inscription, the first of its kind ever found on an amphora, offers a tantalizing glimpse into the literary tastes of ordinary Romans.
The Discovery
Unearthed in southern Spain, the three-inch-long pottery shard was once part of a Roman amphora, a jar used to store olive oil. Archaeologists initially dismissed the inscription as commonplace, as text on such vessels often relates to production or taxation. However, closer examination revealed an unusual feature: four or five lines of engraving, far more than the typical one or two lines.
Deciphering the Inscription
The inscription, written in Latin, proved challenging to decipher due to spelling mistakes. However, classical language scholar Antònia Soler i Nicolau eventually recognized the familiar words as a passage from Virgil’s Georgics, a poem about farming written in 29 B.C.E.
The inscription, which contains only segments of the full passage, reads:
Auoniam[pingui]
glandem m[utauit]
aresta, poq[ulaque]
[inuen]tisAqu[eloia]
[miscu]it [uuis]
Translated into English, the full passage reads:
O you brightest lights of the universe
that lead the passing year through the skies,
Bacchus and kindly Ceres, since by your gifts
fat wheat ears replaced Chaonian acorns,
and mixed Achelous’ water with newly discovered wine,
and you, fauns, the farmer’s local gods,
(come dance, together, fauns and dryad girls!)
your gifts I sing.
Virgil’s Popularity and the Significance of the Inscription
Virgil, renowned for his epic poem the Aeneid, was highly revered by the Romans. The discovery of his lines on an amphora, an object used in everyday life, suggests that his poetry resonated not only with the elite but also with ordinary people.
The inscription’s placement on a non-visible part of the amphora indicates that it was likely not intended as a decorative element but rather a personal expression of the individual who etched it. This could have been a skilled craftsman replicating the lines from memory or even a child laborer practicing their writing.
Literacy in Ancient Rome
The existence of this inscription challenges traditional assumptions about literacy levels in ancient Rome. While written records on perishable materials have not survived, the inscriptions that do exist suggest that literacy was more widespread than previously believed, even among ordinary citizens and enslaved people.
The Mystery of the Virgil Fan
The identity of the individual who etched the Virgil quotation remains a mystery. However, the inscription provides a fascinating glimpse into the lives of ordinary Romans, their literary interests, and the enduring influence of Virgil’s poetry. It also highlights the importance of epigraphy, the study of ancient inscriptions, in reconstructing the social and cultural history of the ancient world.
