Possible Roman Prison Identified in Ancient Greek City

COPENHAGEN, DENMARK—According to a Live Science report, traces of a 1,600-year-old Roman prison have been identified in Corinth, Greece. Matthew Larsen of the University of Copenhagen made the identification through an examination of the site and a review of records of an excavation conducted there in 1901. Larsen said that graffiti on the floor of the site offered clues to its use, since there is scant evidence of what a Roman prison may have looked like, or where it would have been located within a city. He noted that the graffiti at this location was written within cracks in the flooring, indicating that the materials had not been relocated from another site. The inscriptions sometimes asked for vengeance, and sometimes contained pleas, such as “may the fortune of those who suffer in this lawless place prevail. Lord, do not show mercy on the one who threw us in here.” Descriptive texts suggested that the space was dark and cold, he added. Larsen also said game boards had been drawn on the floor, and that jugs and lamps were recovered from one side of the site. A small latrine had been dug in one of the chambers. To read about an architectural study of the Temple of Apollo at Corinth, go to "Rise of the Greek Crane."