this post was submitted on 05 May 2025
265 points (98.2% liked)
A Comm for Historymemes
2536 readers
461 users here now
A place to share history memes!
Rules:
-
No sexism, racism, homophobia, transphobia, assorted bigotry, etc.
-
No fascism, atrocity denial, etc.
-
Tag NSFW pics as NSFW.
-
Follow all Lemmy.world rules.
Banner courtesy of @setsneedtofeed@lemmy.world
founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
view the rest of the comments
Explanation: Roman public latrines were, counterintuitively to modern Western cultural norms, places for socialization while you did your, ahem, business. Rather than desperately trying to avoid eye contact with anyone in or out of the latrines, it was common to take a seat next to someone, strike up some conversation; even play a quick game of tic-tac-toe between the seats! The Roman poet Martial even wrote a short poem making fun of a man who was lingering in the public latrines all day - not because of intestinal issues, but because he hoped (not entirely absurdly) to score a dinner invitation (free food!) by making small talk with his fellow shitters!
Wonderful. Loved your explanation. Do you have sources for that Juvenal poem?
Fuck me, fixed it. It's Martial, not Juvenal, I was mistaken.
Epigrams, Book 11, Epigram 77
A poetic translation being given as
Thanks. No harm done. I also mix up authors names at times.
Thanks for the precise references. I love learning about ancient ways. Some parts of their lives seem so alien to us today.