The phrase 10 ancient writings may conjure images of philosophers and emperors, but hidden among the grand tomes are humble messages that let us peek into the routine joys and woes of everyday folk. From soldiers yearning for home to workers paid in frothy barley, these inscriptions bridge millennia, reminding us that human concerns have long been universal.
10 ancient writings: Glimpses Into Everyday Lives
10 An Egyptian Soldier Abroad Just Wanted To Go Home
In the year AD 214, a young Egyptian named Aurelius Polion was dispatched to serve in the Roman legion, finding himself stationed far away in Pannonia Inferior—today’s Hungary—roughly 1,600 kilometres (about 1,000 miles) from his native land. The distance was not his greatest fear; rather, he dreaded being forgotten by his family.
“I sent six letters to you,” Polion lamented in his correspondence, “but you never wrote back.” His words reveal a deep yearning for familial acknowledgment, a longing that outweighed even the peril of battle.
He believed his relatives had abandoned him, yet his desire to reunite was so intense that a single reply would have compelled him to abandon his post and race home.
“The moment you keep me in your thoughts,” he vowed, “I shall come to you so that you may know I am your brother.”
9 A Babylonian Trader Struggled With A Powerful Merchant
In 1750 BC, a Babylonian named Nanni etched what is considered the world’s earliest formal complaint. He had been duped by Ea‑nasir, a dominant copper merchant, into purchasing substandard metal. When Nanni’s messenger protested, the merchant curtly replied, “If you do not want them, go away!” No refund was offered.
Frustrated yet powerless, Nanni recorded his grievance on a clay tablet: “Take notice that from now on I will not accept any copper from you!” He softened the blow with a meek clause, acknowledging the copper’s inferior quality.
The episode illustrates how even in antiquity, trade could be a battlefield of leverage, with powerful merchants often dictating terms.
8 A Priest Helped A Starving Chinese Woman Get Back To Her Mother
In AD 313, a Chinese woman named Miwnay found herself stranded in the desert town of Dunhuang, penniless and on the brink of starvation. The loss of her husband, combined with hostile in‑laws, left her isolated and desperate to return to her mother.
She wrote, “I live wretchedly, without clothing, without money,” pleading for aid. A compassionate priest stepped in, promising a camel and sustenance for the arduous journey home.
Miwnay’s hopeful letter was intercepted by a Chinese garrison and sealed away in a tower for roughly 1,500 years, never reaching her mother’s eyes.
7 A Sumerian Work Crew Was Paid In Beer
Around 3000 BC, a band of Sumerian laborers left their villages to toil for a wealthy patron. This era pre‑dated coinage, so payment came in the form of barley‑based beer, a staple of the time.
A surviving clay receipt simply notes that the workers were “given beer for work.” This modest record offers a vivid snapshot of an economy where fermented grain served as both sustenance and salary.
These early artisans could support their families through manual labor, but lacked the resources to brew wine, making beer the practical—and enjoyable—medium of compensation.
6 An Angry Roman Drew Jesus As A Crucified Donkey
In AD 200, a Roman named Alexamenos, who had embraced Christianity, became the target of scorn. An adversary etched a crude image on a wall: a man worshipping a donkey‑headed figure on a cross, accompanied by the caption, “Alexamenos worships his God.”
This caricature reflects a broader Roman hostility toward early Christians, who were often accused of cannibalism and other grotesque practices. Contemporary sources record similar accusations, such as those from Marcus Aurelius’s tutor.
Labeling Jesus the “Donkey Priest” was a common insult, and the graffito underscores the social ostracism faced by believers in that era.
5 An Egyptian Worker Refused To Take A Sick Day
Circa 1500 BC, craftsmen residing in Deir el‑Medina—near the Valley of the Kings—were employed to carve royal tombs. Papyrus archives reveal that the state provided paid sick leave and dispatched physicians to care for ailing laborers.
One particularly diligent worker, Merysekhmet, chose to ignore his ailment, pressing on for two days despite evident pain. Eventually his condition forced a mandatory break for recovery.
Once restored, he promptly returned to the monumental projects that would outlast the pharaohs he served, exemplifying both personal fortitude and the ancient state’s concern for worker welfare.
4 The People Of Pompeii Loved To Party
Before Mount Vesuvius’s cataclysm, Pompeii thrummed with revelry. Its walls bore bawdy graffiti: “I screwed the barmaid,” shouted in taverns; “Celadus the Thracian makes the girls moan!” echoed in gladiator barracks; and a brothel’s inscription declared, “My penis has given you up! Now it penetrates men’s behinds.”
Yet amidst the licentious jokes, tender sentiments emerged. One homeowner boasted, “If anyone does not believe in Venus, they should gaze at my girlfriend.” A woman vowed never to sell her husband “for all the gold in the world.”
One of the most touching messages simply reads, “Gaius and Aulus, friends forever,” a timeless reminder that camaraderie endured even in a city frozen for centuries.
3 A Greek Tourist In Egypt Missed His Mother
Around 278 BC, travelers from Greece and Italy swarmed the Valley of the Kings, leaving behind graffiti that expressed awe and personal longing. One particular inscription at the Colossi of Memnon captures a poignant moment.
The massive statues, damaged by earthquakes, emitted a whistling wind that the visitor interpreted as the giant’s voice calling his mother’s name. He etched the sound onto the stone’s foot, then added, “I missed you, O my mother, and I prayed that you might hear him, too.”
This blend of reverence for the ancient monument and intimate yearning offers a rare glimpse into the emotional landscape of early tourists.
2 The Men Who Built The Pyramids Left Their Marks
Young men from modest Egyptian villages, many never having seen more than a few hundred souls, were conscripted into the “royal labor project”—a form of taxation that sent them across the land to erect the monumental pyramids.
These laborers endured harsh conditions: constructing massive stone blocks, living in temporary shelters, and sometimes perishing on the very structures they were building. Yet, they ensured their presence was recorded by carving their names or crew tags onto the walls.
These inscriptions guarantee that their contributions, though laborious and often anonymous in grand histories, will not be forgotten.
1 Sumerian Accountants And Slave Traders Just Wanted To Do Their Jobs
The earliest known personal names belong to ordinary Sumerians performing routine tasks. The first recorded name, dating to 3100 BC, belongs to an accountant dubbed Kushim, who logged “29,086 measures of barley over 37 months.”
Another early tablet lists a slave trader, Gal‑Sal, advertising “Two slaves held by Gal‑Sal: En‑pap X and Sukkalgir.” These brief entries reveal the mundane business of counting grain and trading humans.
Such records underscore that the foundations of civilization were built by people simply doing their jobs, their names preserved on clay for millennia.
+ Further Reading
It’s astonishing how closely ancient lives mirror our own—minus the modern convenience of easy credit. If you enjoyed these snapshots, you might also like:
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