# Oldest "X loves X" graffiti? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 8, 2007, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-x-loves-x-graffiti/387110 "2007-01-08T02:33:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mississippienne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d2c977/32.png) [@Mississippienne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mississippienne)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2007, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-x-loves-x-graffiti/387110/1 "2007-01-08T02:33:06Z")
I was taking a bus trip a few days ago and while in the ladies room at one of the bus stops, I got to examine the ubiquitous graffiti scrawled on the walls, most of which was along the lines of “Janine loves Dave” or “Marci (hearts) Johnny”. That got me to thinking about my visit to the Aya Sofya, and how if I craned my head a certain way I could see old graffiti in Greek letters carved into the stone on the edge of a balcony. I was unable to read this graffiti but I wonder if any of it said something like “Alexios loves Maria” or “Theodoros + Anna 4ever!” So, Dopers, does anyone know of very old (say, 500 years or more) graffiti of this variety? ---
**Author:** ![Crescend](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Crescend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crescend)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2007, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-x-loves-x-graffiti/387110/2 "2007-01-08T03:26:52Z")
[QUOTE=Mississippienne] I was taking a bus trip a few days ago and while in the ladies room at one of the bus stops, I got to examine the ubiquitous graffiti scrawled on the walls, most of which was along the lines of “Janine loves Dave” or “Marci (hearts) Johnny”. That got me to thinking about my visit to the Aya Sofya, and how if I craned my head a certain way I could see old graffiti in Greek letters carved into the stone on the edge of a balcony. I was unable to read this graffiti but I wonder if any of it said something like “Alexios loves Maria” or “Theodoros + Anna 4ever!” So, Dopers, does anyone know of very old (say, 500 years or more) graffiti of this variety? [/QUOTE] Found in the ruins of [Pompei](http://www.personal.kent.edu/~bkharvey/roman/classes/graffiti.htm), near the Vesuvius Gate: “Marcus loves Spendusa.” ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2007, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-x-loves-x-graffiti/387110/3 "2007-01-08T03:35:09Z")
[QUOTE=Crescend] Found in the ruins of [Pompei](http://www.personal.kent.edu/~bkharvey/roman/classes/graffiti.htm), near the Vesuvius Gate: “Marcus loves Spendusa.” [/QUOTE] Which would make it pre-79 AD, I presume. ---
**Author:** ![Jeffr062](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f04885/32.png) [@Jeffr062](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeffr062)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2007, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-x-loves-x-graffiti/387110/4 "2007-01-08T03:46:15Z")
[QUOTE=Crescend] Found in the ruins of [Pompei](http://www.personal.kent.edu/~bkharvey/roman/classes/graffiti.htm), near the Vesuvius Gate: “Marcus loves Spendusa.” [/QUOTE] II.2.3 (Bar of Athictus; right of the door); 8442: I screwed the barmaid :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2007, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-x-loves-x-graffiti/387110/5 "2007-01-08T15:06:34Z")
[QUOTE=Jeffr062] II.2.3 (Bar of Athictus; right of the door); 8442: I screwed the barmaid :eek: [/QUOTE] That’s nothing, look at the very first one on that list! :eek: Is that really genuine? Not to mention this one: > [@](#): > > The one who buggers a fire burns his penis Who’da thunk Confucius visited Pompeii?