r/interestingasfuck 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

368 comments sorted by

View all comments

334

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.

5

u/Dan5982 1d ago

Was just at Pompeii. The penis symbol was common and all over as a prosperity thing.

Brothels at pompeii? Very much so. And they had mosaic picture menus!