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How do inscriptions from Pompeii provide evidence about Vulgar Latin and ordinary Romans?

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Neo-Assyrian clay tablet from the 7th century BC inscribed with dense cuneiform writing, known as the Flood Tablet from the Epic of Gilgamesh, displayed in the British Museum. — epigraphy The Flood Tablet, 11th cuneiform tablet in a series relating the Gilgamesh epic, from Nineveh, 7th century bce; in the British Museum, London.

In the study of historiography, inscriptions from Pompeii serve as a vital counterpoint to the formal, often sterile, official records of the Roman state. While monumental inscriptions provide a top-down view of power, the informal epigraphy found in Pompeii—such as graffiti—offers a rare, firsthand glimpse into the lives of ordinary Romans, including slaves, freedmen, and small business owners.12

These informal texts are essential for understanding Vulgar Latin, the spoken language of the people. Because these inscriptions were often written by individuals with varying degrees of literacy, they frequently exhibit colloquialisms, misspellings, and non-standard grammatical forms that reflect how Latin was actually spoken, rather than how it was codified in literary works.13

Beyond language, these records document the texture of daily life:
* Social and Economic Activity: They include election notices, business transactions, and lists of market days, revealing the vibrant commercial life of the port city.2
* Personal Expression: The graffiti preserves intimate details, such as exchanges between lovers, insults, accusations, and even the scratched alphabets of children.2
* Cultural Interests: Quotations from Virgil and word puzzles like the sator square highlight the intellectual and recreational habits of the populace.2

By capturing these "incidental" writings, historians can reconstruct a more authentic, human-centered history of the ancient world.45