A fantastic new inscription from Pompeii – but what does it mean?
Despite the spectacular new excavations that are currently unfolding in the northern part of the city, the most significant discovery at Pompeii in recent decades was made just over a year ago, outside the main southern city gate, where a large and well-preserved funerary monument was dug up alongside the road that probably connected Pompeii to its harbour. It contained a uniquely long inscription, which, so we knew, was a detailed eulogy for an unnamed individual who had done incredible things for the Pompeian community (the name probably featured somewhere on the monument, but it has not been found back).
What does this text mean, and what does it tell us about Pompeii? I have brought together some preliminary observations and a (rough) English translation in this blog. I argue that it changes our perspective on Pompeii a little bit, and it offers a very powerful illustration of the impact of Pompeii's central location on its social, economic and political history. It is a fascinating text that has a very bright scholarly future.
