and
qf Caricature
3 8 Hgnory
Gratqfque
Pompeii was greatly damaged by an earthquake, and fixteen years later
came the eruption of Vefuvius, which buried the town, and left it in the
condition in which it is now found.
This curious caricature belongs to a clafs of monuments to which
archaeologifts have given technically the Italian name of grqj]Wi, fcratches
or fcrawls, of which a great number, coniifting chiefly of writing, have
been found on the walls of Pompeii. They alfo occur among the remains
on other Roman fires, and one found in Rome itfelf is efpecially intereft-
Q S x )2?
vi-7
Is Q?
ing. During the alterations and extenf1ons which were made from time
to time in the palace of the Caefars, it had been found neceilary to build
acrofs a narrow ltreet which interferited the Palatine, and, in order to give
fupport to the ftrufture above, a portion of the Prreet was walled oft; and
remained thus hermetically fealed until about the year 1857, when fome
excavations on the fpot brought it to view. The walls of the Hreet were
found to be covered with thele grqfiti, among which one attradted efpecial
attention, and, having been carefully removed, is now preferved in the
muieum of the Collegio Romano. It is a caricature upon a Chriftian
named