Graffiti in the Athenian Agora
by Mabel Lang
Agora Picture Book 14
32 pp, b/w figs
5.5" x 8.5"
Paper, ISBN: 978-0-87661-633-8
Publication Date: Nov 1988
Status: Active
Retail Price $5
Like fragments of overheard conversations, the thousands of informal inscriptions scratched and painted on potsherds, tiles, and other objects give us a unique insight into the everyday life of the Athenian Agora. Some are marks of ownership, or the notes of merchants, but many are sexual innuendos, often accompanied by graphic illustrations. Using her wide contextual knowledge, the author suggests why these scraps of sentences were written, and what they can tell us about one of the first widely literate societies.
About the Author: Mabel Lang (1917-2010) was the Katharine E. McBride Professor Emeritus and Paul Shorey Professor Emeritus of Greek at Bryn Mawr College. She authored or coauthored nine books published by the ASCSA.