November 4, 2024
Greetings from the citizen,
Twenty some years ago, visited the resurrected city of Pompeii, which for some reason I thought was where they kept the leaning tower of Pisa. (In my head I thought of it as ‘The leaning tower of pizza’). This not only reveals my challenges with spelling, but a clear ignorance of history and geography. (I say ‘twenty some years ago’ because of my poor math skills, which I think sweeps the education category)
Pompeii, as every third grader knows, was a small city in Italy that was built in the shadow of Mount Vesuvius, which turned out to be an improperly zoned volcano. Then one day, when everyone was busy being Roman, or Italian, or Greek, or whatever, Vesuvius exploded and ultimately buried the city of Pompeii in about twenty feet of volcanic ash and pumice. This spoiled several outdoor weddings scheduled for that afternoon.
What is remarkable is that this catastrophe preserved the city for thousands of years, in nearly its original condition. Other than the population, of course, not remarkable for them, although to be fair it has been two thousand years, if my math is right, and they’d be history by now anyway.
Walking among the streets of Pompeii we could witness the town as it was in the year 79. (Not ’79, as in 1979, but the original 79, before apostrophes.) The stone roadways, the walls of the city, houses, temples, fountains and amphitheaters, many still largely intact. There were examples of art, statues and carvings, and elaborate inscriptions on the buildings. Some of the inscriptions were graffiti, not flattering to the writer or the target, but many of the writings were political, supporting a particular candidate for election.
That’s right. They were two-thousand-year-old political yard signs.
We are fairly accustomed to yard signs in our culture. Every town I have ever run through I see signs staked in people’s lawns. Some give notice of dangerous dogs or advertise recent home improvements like lawn care or gutter cleaning. There are many that are proud announcements of new babies, graduates, homecomings, even faith beliefs.
Over the last several years, political signs yard have become a more robust presence. The messaging, once limited to a dull cliché about ‘change’ or ‘the future’, has taken on a more aggressive tone. This can lead to a confusing impression when the yard is crowded with other signs about the new roof, the local football team, and the homeowner’s love for Yorkies. But that’s what our culture has developed.
The people of Pompeii had created and loved and laughed and had children and learned things and forgot things and lived full lives. I’m sure some of them were rascals, and a few of them heroes. But if I said any of their names, it wouldn’t register to you, other than to wonder if I spelled it incorrectly. Still, here is what our friend Florus ad Fructus wrote about the upcoming aedile election, in essence a city council.
“The late drinkers ask you to elect Marcus Cerrinius Vatia aedile. Florus ad Fructus wrote this.”
We can’t tell anything about Florus from his political choice, but the rest of the message is insightful. I would love to know if ‘late drinkers’ was a political party. Regardless, now two thousand years later, we know this little fragment about Florus. This is how he will be remembered. Well, at least until you start the next paragraph, or the toaster delivers your bagel.
All of the writings in Pompeii were written in the passion of the day. One said “All the worshippers of Isis call for Cn. Helvius Sabinus as aedile.” I know as much about early religions as I do geography or math, but this seems like a pretty strong endorsement. Especially for a guy who is basically in charge of maintaining the roads.
No one in Pompeii had any inclination that what they had written on the walls of their homes would be suddenly baked into a permanent record of them by a vicissitudinous volcano. And so, I wondered what people would think about if they believed that whatever was on their yard sign would be remembered for thousands of years, and if that was the most important impression they wanted to leave behind.
I think people should express themselves and be proud of what they believe in. I’m grateful to live in a place where that’s our right, to speak freely, with some built-in limitations for civility. And I wonder if that expression would be changed at all if we all understood that it is how we would be remembered for two thousand years.
I run past the yard signs and wonder about the people behind them, but other than that I am largely unaffected. Except for one sign I noticed nearly two years ago that has stayed with me almost every day since. Not only because of the message, but because I think it said something about whoever placed it in the yard for me to see.
It said: “Don’t Give Up”.
I have never been much for yard signs, but if for some reason I ever feel the need to post something to express my thinking, I am going to filter it through the Pompeiian lens: Do these words say what I would want to be remembered for in twenty centuries? (I think I got that right. Please check my math)
Don’t give up.
Hope this finds you choosing your words,
David
Copyright © 2024 David Smith
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