Roman Ph*llus Carving Found on Road

[guy]

 

Interesting find:

 

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A "highly significant" and rare carved Roman phallus has been discovered by archaeologists working on finds unearthed during a major road upgrade.

It was found on a broken millstone by experts along the route of the A14 in Cambridgeshire between 2017 and 2018.

 

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"This millstone is important as it adds to the evidence for such images from Roman Britain.

"There were known associations between images of the phallus and milling, such as those found above the bakeries of Pompeii, one inscribed with 'Hic habitat felicitas' - 'You will find happiness here'," he said.

Dr Ruth Shaffrey, from Oxford Archaeology, said: "As one of only four known examples of Romano-British millstones decorated this way, the A14 millstone is a highly significant find.

"It offers insights into the importance of the mill to the local community and to the protective properties bestowed upon the millstone and its produce - the flour - by the depiction of a phallus on its upper surface."

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-56113457

Summary: I guess good luck amulets and symbols come in all types.

 

guy also known as gaius

Edited October 14, 2021 by guy

[caldrail]

The Romans seem to have connected virility and luck. I assume this was down to superstition about fate or decisions of the Gods, because one might well see the Roman machismo as representing personal power and status in a rather childish way. They certainly weren't shy of graffiti about their conquests. But then, I think we've sort of lost something important about our ancestors. These days we take our good health and long survival probabilities for granted, getting quite upset when health services don't meet our expectations of care. The thing is with Roman times, like most periods in history, is that life was usually short. In the modern third world, having plenty of children is an investment in the future, not just a lifestyle choice or an excuse to claim more benefits. I'm sure the Romans had similar feelings, though at the same time, they could be remarkably callous - the exposure of unwanted infants or sale to slavers.