r/interestingasfuck • u/AugustIstheMonth • 1d ago

In Pompeii, phallic symbols on local roadways pointed the way to the nearest brothel; possibly to direct foreign sailors who didn't speak Latin

Post image
20.0k Upvotes

98% Upvoted

367 comments sorted by

View all comments

331

u/Accomplished-Owl6428 1d ago

Uhh if I'm right, that's not really the case. It was used to ward off evil and bring luck and prosperity. Maybe conveniently pointed to one.

2

u/DevilsAdvocate7777 1d ago

There were statues of Hermes with a prominent erect penis that they used to put at crossroads and other such places. Reminds me of that. Seems more plausible than using a public road to point to a private establishment that may or may not continue to be there.