Ancient Bathroom Humor Discovered
Uncovered this week in Turkey, inside what was once a Roman latrine, are a bunch of dirty jokes that date back to the second century. Two mosaics depict well-known Greek and Roman characters, Narcissus and Ganymede—only the scenes are a little different than the myths we know. In one, Narcissus is staring at his penis, obsessed; in the other, Ganymede (who was kidnapped by the eagle of Zeus) is “getting his genitals sponged clean by a bird.” The two visual puns are the only surviving artworks in the public latrine, located in the ancient Hellenistic city (called Antiochia ad Cragum), and archaeologist Michael Hoff says, “You have to understand the myths to make it really come alive, but bathroom humor is kind of universal—as it turns out.” Read more at Live Science.
Via livescience.com link opens in a new window
