Archaeologists Find Athenian Naval Base

[abaris]

I imagine that some people had more of an affinity for literacy than others but that is still true today, is it not?

But what was there to read for an ordinary citizen? Scrolls didn't come cheap. But there's one pointer to a broader base of literacy. The graffitis at Pompeji. Given their overall nature, they obviously weren't written by savants but by ordinary folk. Apart from the ones advertising the qualities of certain whores, my favorite is obviously composed by a shop owner threatening the next person to take a shit at his doorstep to be fucked up the ass.

[Anomalocaris]

I imagine that some people had more of an affinity for literacy than others but that is still true today, is it not?

But what was there to read for an ordinary citizen? Scrolls didn't come cheap. But there's one pointer to a broader base of literacy. The graffitis at Pompeji. Given their overall nature, they obviously weren't written by savants but by ordinary folk. Apart from the ones advertising the qualities of certain whores, my favorite is obviously composed by a shop owner threatening the next person to take a shit at his doorstep to be fucked up the ass.

Scrolls may be expensive, but what about ink on wooden shavings?

[abaris]

Scrolls may be expensive, but what about ink on wooden shavings?

Not the point. If you're interested in literacy, well there should be something to read. The letters were written on wood shavings, but to compose them, you had to know how to read and write. And again, what was there to read for an ordinary citizen or soldier?

[Minimalist]

But what was there to read for an ordinary citizen? Scrolls didn't come cheap. But there's one pointer to a broader base of literacy. The graffitis at Pompeji. Given their overall nature, they obviously weren't written by savants but by ordinary folk. Apart from the ones advertising the qualities of certain whores, my favorite is obviously composed by a shop owner threatening the next person to take a shit at his doorstep to be fucked up the ass.

Scrolls may be expensive, but what about ink on wooden shavings?

Or ostraca!

To expand on the idea, though.  Heavy-duty philosophical tracts would have mainly been written in Greek which was the language of the upper classes.  It probably depended more on a person's occupation in the cities.  Commerce was a big deal in the Roman world and commerce of that scale requires record-keeping.  Being able to read an inventory manifest in Latin does not mean you could read Plato in Greek but it would have been enough for the average joe to get by.  Even today we have people who are functionally illiterate.

http://www.intellectualtakeout.org/blog/...-even-mean

Considering how much we spend on education this is something of a national scandal.

[Minimalist]

Again, it makes sense because the whole idea was to keep the army busy at all times.  When they weren't fighting - and there were long stretches of peace on the various fronts - or drilling, they were building.  If there was nothing to build I can see commanders trying to encourage education of one type or another.

Remember, part of the appeal of a life in the legions ( or, I might add - the Auxillia) was that when your 25 years were up you got a piece of land to farm in a colony as a reward.  Those people were then expected to become solid citizens of that community.  The Roman army was a great civilizing force and it wasn't just because they built roads and bath houses.

I imagine that some people had more of an affinity for literacy than others but that is still true today, is it not?

That was under Caesar but it did not last.

The system did not really break down until the 3d century, though.

[Anomalocaris]

Scrolls may be expensive, but what about ink on wooden shavings?

Not the point. If you're interested in literacy, well there should be something to read. The letters were written on wood shavings, but to compose them, you had to know how to read and write. And again, what was there to read for an ordinary citizen or soldier?

I don't think there needs to be written material circulated on a movable print scale for it to be worthwhile to for ordinary citizens to learn to read or write, be able to handle routine legal or commercial transaction through writing, or be able to read notice boards, business signs, stadium game scores, or even solacious little stories copied on little wooden slats. I don't think the opportunity cost of learning to read or write a phonetic alphabet language at a basic level in a society which does not purposely try to protect the privilege of the scribe should be very high.

[Anomalocaris]

Again, it makes sense because the whole idea was to keep the army busy at all times.  When they weren't fighting - and there were long stretches of peace on the various fronts - or drilling, they were building.  If there was nothing to build I can see commanders trying to encourage education of one type or another.

Remember, part of the appeal of a life in the legions ( or, I might add - the Auxillia) was that when your 25 years were up you got a piece of land to farm in a colony as a reward.  Those people were then expected to become solid citizens of that community.  The Roman army was a great civilizing force and it wasn't just because they built roads and bath houses.

I imagine that some people had more of an affinity for literacy than others but that is still true today, is it not?

That was under Caesar but it did not last.

What did not last? Augustus easily settled more retired Roman legionaries on government granted land, and thus advanced the cause of Roman culture in the empire's peripheral, than Caesar, any of Caesars predecessors back to Marius, or any subsequent emperors.

[Minimalist]

Gaius Julius Caesar fought the last battle of the civil war at Munda, in Spain, in March of 45.  Furthermore, he did not immediately return to Rome but spent some time pacifying Spain and hunting down Sextus and Gnaeus Pompey who had survived Munda.  Less than a year after Munda he was dead so I don't know how much re-settling of his veterans he was able to do.  He did plan to establish colonies at Carthage and Corinth - vacant sites which were simply too geographically useful to leave dormant but it is doubtful that the plans were far advanced before the Ides of March, 44 BC.

[Banjo]

That was under Caesar but it did not last.

The system did not really break down until the 3d century, though.

The land just got further away.

[Anomalocaris]

The system did not really break down until the 3d century, though.

The land just got further away.

Keep in mind popular perception of the Romans were totally wrong. Roman Empire was not a highly militarized society from 31BC-~225AD. During this period Roman Empire had a population of around 50 million, but only around 120,000-150,000 legionaries. Considering that the troops serve 25 year terms, the whole empire with its enormous periphery needs to provide land for only 5 thousand retiring legionaries each year.