Here I sit

Graffiti from Pompeii. If you don't know about Pompeii, read the Wiki first. Here's how it looks today:

The volcano, Mount Vesuvius, in the background. Not my picture, and for that I am ashamed. The mountain plays a big part in Spartacus's revolt by the way. Anyways, the destruction of Pompeii and the manner of the destruction has been a blessing for humanity, as it gives us our best preserved example of Roman life from the period. Not so awesome for the poor folks who lived there at the time, of course:

Everyone died fairly close to instantly - there was no doubt a great fear before the end, but unlikely to have been much pain. No one was spared from the volcanic debris (20 or more feet thick - and at the time, burning hot).

Note the formidable collar. You see, friends, these Romans were people, just like you and I. With the same desires, hopes, dreams, fears, and wants. And there is no better example of this fact than their graffiti, preserved over 2000 years. Behold the noble Roman (click here for the full list):
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I.2.20 (Bar/Brothel of Innulus and Papilio); 3932: Weep, you girls.  My penis has given you up.  Now it penetrates men’s behinds.  Goodbye, wondrous femininity!

I.2.23 (peristyle of the Tavern of Verecundus); 3951: Restitutus says: “Restituta, take off your tunic, please, and show us your hairy privates”.

II.2.1 (Bar of Astylus and Pardalus); 8408: Lovers are like bees in that they live a honeyed life

II.2.3 (Bar of Athictus; right of the door); 8442: I screwed the barmaid

II.3.10 (Pottery Shop or Bar of Nicanor; right of the door); 10070: Lesbianus, you defecate and you write, ‘Hello, everyone!’

II.4.1 (bar; left of the door, near a picture of Mercury); 8475: Palmyra, the thirst-quencher

II.7 (gladiator barracks); 8792: On April 19^th, I made bread

II.7 (gladiator barracks); 8792b: Antiochus hung out here with his girlfriend Cithera.

III.5.3 (on the wall in the street); 8898: Theophilus, don’t perform oral sex on girls against the city wall like a dog

VI.16.15 (atrium of the House of Pinarius); 6842: If anyone does not believe in Venus, they should gaze at my girl friend

VII.2.18 (vicolo del Panattiere, House of the Vibii, Merchants); 3117: Atimetus got me pregnant

VIII.1 (above a bench outside the Marine Gate); 1751: If anyone sits here, let him read this first of all: if anyone wants a screw, he should look for Attice; she costs 4 sestertii.

VIII.2 (in the basilica); 1811: A small problem gets larger if you ignore it.

VIII.2 (in the basilica); 1882: The one who buggers a fire burns his penis

VIII.2 (in the basilica); 1926: Epaphra is not good at ball games.

V.5 (near the Vesuvius Gate); 7086: Marcus loves Spendusa

 Spendusa is my new favorite name and if I ever have a daughter, Spendusa she'll be. 

As you can see, people have been basically the same for a long time - and I suspect this goes back a long ways. 100,000 years at least. Sure, times were different and knowledge was less and heck, a lightning storm must have been supremely terrifying - WTF?! What did we DO?!!!! But still, just folks, just like you and me, cognitively and physically. This is our connection with all of history - we're all just people. With stupid leaders/bosses, for example.

Stupid Emperor Magoo stinks!