In the descriptions the long wall with windows of rooms 4 - 5 - 9 is presumed to be the east wall, running from south to north. The graffiti were published by Carlo Molle in Scavi di Ostia XV (Roma 2014).
Scavi di Ostia XV, figure: 165 | 166 | 167 | 168 | 169 | 170 | 171 | 172.
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| Plan of the Casa delle Ierodule. |
Molle_01 - TALLY MARKS
- Room 1, east wall: 16 lines.
Molle_02 - TALLY MARKS
- Room 1, west wall: 7 lines.
Molle_03 - A BIRD?
- Room 1A, north wall.
- SO XV, fig. 165.1, fig. 168.1.
Molle_04 - A DOODLE
- Room 1A, north wall, near staircase 3.
- SO XV, fig. 165.2, fig. 168.2.
Molle_05 - TALLY MARKS
- Room 1A, north wall: 10 lines.
Molle_06 - A DOODLE
- Room 1A, south wall, near staircase 3.
- SO XV, fig. 165.3, fig. 168.3.
Molle_07 - TALLY MARKS
- Room 1A, south wall, near staircase 3, below Molle_06.
- SO XV, fig. 165.3, fig. 168.3: 17 lines.
Molle_08 - TALLY MARKS
- Room 2, east side of basin.
- SO XV, fig. 168.4: 4 lines.
Molle_09 - TALLY MARKS
- Room 2, east side of basin.
- SO XV, fig. 168.4: 42 lines.
Molle_10 - TALLY MARKS
- Room 2, east side of basin.
- SO XV, fig. 168.4: 33 lines.
Molle_11 - A HUMAN FIGURE?
- Room 5A, north wall.
- SO XV, fig. 165.4, fig. 168.5.
Molle_12 - A NUMBER AND TALLY MARKS
- Room 5A, south wall: XXIIII, plus 5, 6 and 7 lines.
Molle_13 - A GEOMETRIC FIGURE
- Room 4, north wall.
- SO XV, fig. 165.5, fig. 168.6.
Molle_14 - TALLY MARKS
- Room 4, north wall: 5 lines.
Molle_15 / G0199 - A VOW TO FORTUNA
- Room 4, north wall.
- S. Falzone - A. Pellegrino in Descoeudres 2001, p. 356 and fig. 15.
- Molle 2004, p. 84.
- La Regina 2013.
- SO XV, fig. 165.6, 168.7:
VT A[_ _ _ _ _ _ ]SIT
PRO SALVTE SVA
ET SVORVM
XII KAL(ENDAS) AVG[u]STAS
PROMISIT VOTVM
LVCCEIA PRIMITIVA
FORTVNAE TAVRIA
NENSI
A vow dated July 21. A woman named Lucceia Primitiva promises that she will thank a deity, Fortuna Taurianensis, when she and those who are dear to her will be in good health, after a danger which is perhaps mentioned in the first, mutilated line (La Regina suggests VT A[dscrip]SIT for the first line). It is unlikely that this Fortuna is the protective deity of Taurianum, a town in the south of Italy. More likely there is a relation with the cognomen Taurianus, that is documented in the Serapeum (III,XVII,4).
- Molle
- Animation, Eric Taylor (last five lines)
- Mary Jane Cuyler 2013
- Harp 2015
Molle_16 - TALLY MARKS
- Room 4, north wall: 7 lines.
Molle_17 - TALLY MARKS
- Room 4, south wall: 6 lines.
Molle_18 - PROW OF A SHIP
- Room 5, north wall.
- SO XV, 165.7, fig. 168.8.
Molle_19 - A DOODLE
- Room 5, north wall.
- SO XV, fig. 165.8.
Molle_20 - A DOODLE
- Room 5, south wall.
- SO XV, fig. 165.9, 168.9.
Molle_21 - TALLY MARKS
- Room 5, west wall: 5 lines.
Molle_22 - A DOODLE
- Room 6, north wall.
- SO XV, 165.10.
Molle_23 - TALLY MARKS
- Room 6, north wall: 14, 2 and 2 lines.
Molle_24 - A NAME
- Room 6, north wall.
- SO XV, fig. 165.11, fig. 168.10: the letter A two times, the letter B, the name CAIVS five times.
Molle_25 - TALLY MARKS
- Room 6, north wall: 7, 6 and 4 lines.
Molle_26 - LETTERS
- Room 6, north wall.
- SO XV, fig. 165.12, fig. 169.1: the letters N and B.
Molle_27 / G0511 - THE MUSE OR A NAME
- Room 6, north wall.
- SO XV, fig. 165.12, fig. 169.2: MVSA | XVIII.
- Eric Taylor
- Harp 2015
Molle_28 - A NUMBER
- Room 6, north wall: XIIII.
Molle_29 - ZIG ZAG MOTIF
- Room 6, south wall.
- SO XV, fig. 165.13.
Molle_30 - ABOUT A SMELL
- Room 7, south wall.
- SO XV, fig. 165.14, fig. 169.3: ODORES.
Molle_31 - A DATE
- Room 7, south wall.
- SO XV, fig. 165.15, fig. 169.4: IIII NONAS | NOVEMBRES.
Interpretation: November 2nd.
Molle_32 - NUMBERS
- Room 7, south wall: XVI AND XXIII.
Molle_33 - A DATE
- Room 7, south wall.
- SO XV, fig. 165.16, fig. 169.5: VI IDVS[---].
Molle_34 - CIRCLES AND A WREATH?
- Room 8, south wall, taken to the storage rooms.
- SO XV, fig. 165.17.
Molle_35
- Room 9, north wall.
Molle_36 - A DATE
- Room 9 south wall.
- SO XV, fig. 166.1: V K[AL ---].
Molle_37 - A DATE
- Room 9, south wall.
- SO XV, fig. 166.1, fig. 169.7: XV KA[L ---].
Molle_38 - TEXT
- Room 9, south wall.
- SO XV, fig. 166.1: RAS.
Molle_39 - DATES
- Room 9, south wall.
- SO XV, fig. 166.1, fig. 166.2, fig. 169.8:
XIIII KAL(enda)S
ME(n)SE MAR(tio)
XIIII K[---]NVS
ME(n)SE APRILE
Interpetation: February 16th or February 17th (depending on leap year or not); March 19th.
Molle_40 - A DOODLE
- Room 9, south wall.
- SO XV, fig. 166.1.
Molle_41 - A DATE AND MONEY
- Room 9, south wall.
- SO XV, fig. 166.1, fig. 166.3, fig. 170.1: XI KAL MARTIAS | ASSES[---].
Interpretation: February 19th or February 20th (depending on leap year or not).
Molle_42 - A DATE?
- Room 9, south wall.
- SO XV, fig. fig. 166.1, fig. 170.2: N[---K]AL(end---) NO(ve)M(br---).
Molle_43 - A DATE
- Room 9, south wall.
- SO XV, fig. 166.1, fig. 170.2:
[---]IDVS[---]
[---]VRE[---]ES
[---]FE[---]
Molle_44 - A DATE
- Room 9, south wall.
- SO XV, fig. 166.1, fig. 170.2: KALENDIS AVGVSTI[S].
Interpretation: August 1st.
Molle_45 - DISTRIBUTION OF FREE GRAIN
- Room 9, south wall.
- SO XV, fig. 166.1, fig. 166.4, fig. 170.3:
XIIII KAL SEP[TEMB]RES
PRIMA FRVMENTATIO
Interpretation: on August 19th the first distribution of free grain.
Molle_46 - A DATE AND THE NILE?
- Room 9, south wall.
- SO XV, fig. 166.1: VII KALEND | [---] | NILV.
Molle_47 - A DATE
- Room 9, south wall.
- SO XV, fig. 166.1, fig. 166.5, fig. 170.4: OYNEKE[-]MO | KAΛEΔA[--]AZA[---].
Interpretation: ουνεκεν means "because"; "kalendae" in Greek.
Molle_48 - A DATE
- Room 9, south wall.
- SO XV, fig. 166.1, fig. 166.6, fig. 170.5:
III KALENDAS FEBR(uari)AS
ACCEPI T[--]VC[--]ANV[---]LL[---].
Interpretation: January 30th.
Molle_49 - SUNDAY
- Room 9, south wall.
SO XV, fig. 166.1, fig. 166.7: VIII IDVS APRILES[-]ESS[-]L[-]S.
Interpretation: April 6th. The date seems to be followed by DIES SOLIS, Sunday.
Molle_50 - NUMBERS
- Room 9, south wall.
- SO XV, fig. 166.1, fig. 166.7: IIIIVIXI.
Molle_51 - MONEY
- Room 9, south wall.
- SO XV, fig. 166.1:
VI KAL MA[---]
* [-]ET * [---]
Twice the symbol for denarii.
Molle_52 - A DATE
- Room 9, south wall.
- SO XV, fig. 166.1, fig. 166.8, fig. 170.6: [---N]ON SEPTEMBRES | [---]NE[---].
Molle_53 - A DATE?
- Room 9, south wall.
- SO XV, fig. 166.1: XL | VII[---]VG.
Molle_54 - A DATE
- Room 9, south wall.
- SO XV, fig. 166.1: VI KAL SEPTEMBR(es).
Interpretation: August 27th.
Molle_55 - A NUMBER
- Room 9, south wall.
- SO XV, fig. 166.1: XL.
Molle_56 - A DATE
- Room 9, south wall.
- SO XV, fig. 166.1, fig. 166.9: VII IDVS NOBENBRES | [-]ANE[-]V[---]E[---]B[--]OLV[---].
Interpretation: November 7th.
Molle_57 - A NUMBER
- Room 9, south wall.
- SO XV, fig. 166.1: XLIII.
Molle_58 - A DATE
- Room 9 , south wall.
- SO XV, fig. 166.1: VIII X III IDVS [---].
Molle_59 - ADVERTISING HIS NAME
- Room 10, north wall.
- SO XV, fig. 167.1: MHNOΦIΛOC. Width almost two meters.
Interpretation: a Greek name, Menophilus; see Molle_64.
- Harp 2015 (detail)
- Harp 2015 (detail)
- Harp 2015 (detail)
- Harp 2015 (detail)
- Harp 2015 (detail)
Molle_60 - A DATE
- Room 10, north wall.
- SO XV, fig. 167.1, fig. 171.1: [---]IDVS[---].
Molle_61 - ADVERTISING HIS NAME
- Room 10, north wall.
- SO XV, fig. 167.2: MHNOΦIΛOC. Width 1.17 m.
Interpretation: a Greek name, Menophilus; see Molle_64.
- Harp 2015 (detail)
- Harp 2015 (detail)
Molle_62 - A SHIP
- Room 10, north wall.
- SO XV, fig. 167.2, fig. 171.2: on top of the first two letters of Molle_61.
Interpretation: the drawing seems unfinished; see Molle_64.
- Harp 2015
- Harp 2015
- Harp 2015
- Harp 2015
- Harp 2015
- Harp 2015
Molle_63
- Room 10, north wall.
- SO XV, fig. 167.3, fig. 171.3.
Molle_64 / G0512 - CAPTAIN OF THE SHIP
- Room 10, north wall.
- SO XV, fig. 167.4, fig. 171.4-6: a drawing of three ships and above that the text:
MAGISTER MENOPHILVS
MENOPHILVS GVBERNATOR
EVSEBIAS
Interpretation: "I am captain Menophilus, Menophilus the steersman, of the ship Eusebeia". The graffito consists of three lines of text above a row of three ships. Only the drawing of the central ship is complete. Molle suggests that we see either a row of three ships, or two abandoned drawings and one finished drawing. In the building are three more drawings of ships. These may also have been made by Menophilus, because they contain a detail for which there are no good parallels: the (Greek) "istodoke", the "fork" on which the mast could rest. The best parallel is a relief from Salerno. Reclining masts have been interpreted as being typical of "naves caudicariae", tow boats. The stern of the central ship, with two helms, is at the left side. Vertical lines in the centre may be a parapet or an indication of the cargo. The mast is resting on the "istodoke", on the prow. On the prow is a vertical pole, a mast to which the rope for pulling the boat was attached. A good parallel for the text is provided by the painting of Isis Giminiana from the Porta Laurentina necropolis. On the stern we see a steersman with the didascalium "Farnaces magister". Apparently the steersman and the captain on a small tow boat could be the same person. The captain "betrays" his oriental origin by writing his name in Greek twice in the same building. The name of the ship is in the genitive, and may be compared to other Greek names of ships: "Eutuchia", "Homonoia", "Prothumia", "Boetheia". The name corresponds with the Latin word "pietas".
- Molle
- Eric Taylor
- Harp 2015
- Harp 2015
- Harp 2015
Molle_65 - A NAME
- Room 10, south wall.
- SO XV, fig. 167.5, fig. 172.1: PVDE(n)S.
Molle_66 - A NUMBER
- Room 10, south wall.
- SO XV, fig. 172.2: XXXXX.
Molle_67 - A SHIP
- Room 10, south wall.
- SO XV, fig. 167.6, fig. 172.3.
Interpretation: the drawing seems unfinished; see Molle_64.
Molle_68 - A HUMAN HEAD?
- Room 11, south wall.
- SO XV, fig. 167.7, fig. 172.4, fig. 172.5.
Molle_69 - A NAME
- Room 11, south wall.
- SO XV, fig. 167.7, fig. 172.4, fig. 172.6: [---]CILIS.
Interpretation: presumably the name Cilix, below the possible head Molle_68.
Molle_70
- Room 11, south wall.
- SO XV, fig. 167.8, fig. 172.7: AXA[---].
CETERA
- G0742. Room 9, south wall. Does not seem to have been described by Molle. Harp 2015, Harp 2015.