Dark Prayers: “Lord, make them die an awful death” Found in Roman-Era Prison
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Reported by Ancient Origins:
This ominous inscription has been uncovered by archaeologists in Corinth, Greece, who’ve uncovered a piece of ancient Roman history that’s straight out of a thriller novel - the remains of a Roman prison dated to 1,600 years ago. The prison was identified by all the etched words found scrawled within the cracks of the walls and floor of a prison-like structure. According to historical records, it seems that prisons were a common feature in Roman towns, particularly those with a forum.
Matthew Larsen, an archaeologist and associate professor of New Testament at the University of Copenhagen, highlighted this in the journal Hesperia in a newly published study. He wrote:
"Prisons must have existed in almost every Roman town, at least those that had a forum."
However, despite their prevalence, finding archaeological evidence of these prisons has proven to be a tough challenge.
"There is scant evidence of what a Roman prison would have looked like, or where it would have been located," Larsen noted. This makes discoveries like the one in Corinth all the more significant, as they offer rare glimpses into a largely hidden aspect of Roman life.
The detective work was led by Larsen, who pieced together the puzzle by studying the site, the cryptic graffiti left behind, and some long-forgotten excavation notes from 1901. What really clued Larsen into the fact that this site was once a prison was the eerie graffiti etched into the floor.
Read more here.
