And here my friends the 3rd part of unusual or unknown facts I found about history of our world. Putting these informations together I was again surprised what I read.

Graffiti.

Graffiti’s are not a street type of our modern times. The walls of ancient Pompeii were, for example, full of doodles. The ancient walls show election propaganda, but there are also lots of personal sayings like „Successus loves Iris“ etc..

The oldest known graffiti at Pompeii also happens to be among the simplest: „Gaius was here“. Or, more precisely, “Gaius Pumidius Diphilus was here,” along with a time stamp, which historians have dated to October 3, 78 B.C.

Much of the graffiti at Pompeii seems surprisingly modern this way. Ancient inscriptions include declarations of love, “Health to you, Victoria, and wherever you are may you sneeze sweetly“. Or insults, “Sanius to Cornelius: Go hang yourself”.  And remembrances “Pyrrhus to his chum Chias: I’m sorry to hear you are dead, and so, goodbye”. Others read „Atemius got me pregnant“ or „Phileros is a eunuch“ or „Secundus defacted here“ etc. etc..

  Ancient wall paintings in Pompeii.

There are also billboard painted inscriptions that included political campaign messages, advertisements for Gladiatorial games, and other public notices, like the equivalent of a giant flyer for a lost horse. The commonplace nature of these inscriptions is part of what makes them so historically valuable.

Ancient statues.

A typical detail in Greek statues is no accident, male genitals were always represented very small, because this corresponded to the then beauty side of the upper layers. A big penis was associated with stupidity and barbarism. This was not always the case. It suggests the view of ancient Greek statues, the male images all have a small penis, at least from today’s point of view. But why is that so ?

  Greek statue of Hercules Farnese.

Big penis, little clever-smart.

The American art historian Ellen Oredsson has investigated this and her answers are  briefly as follows.
According to the expert, there are two equivalent statements: On the one hand, the marble-trimmed penises are limp, which makes them look smaller. On the other hand, it all points to the fact that small penises were once better viewed than large ones.

   One of the most valuable ancient figures is the 1.81 meter tall sleepy satyr. „The Barberine Faun“ is said to be 220AD. Apart from missing pieces of head, leg, and hands, the sculpture shows its naked masculinity particularly freely. Cardinal Maffeo Barberini, later Pope of the Catholic Church, had the figure restored in the 17th century by Gian Lorenzo Bernini. In 1810, the future king of Bavaria, Louis I, bought the figure and placed her in his treasure chamber.

Oredsson refers to the British historian Kenneth Dover, according to which large penises were then regarded as ugly. In addition, they were associated with wantonness and stupidity. As an example, she calls the Greek fertility god Priapus, which has always been portrayed on statues with a gigantic facade (see picture), and has therefore been thrown from the Olympian by the other gods, less well-stocked.

                A Pompeian mural:  The Greek god Paris (recognizable on the Phrygian cap) represented as fertility god Priapus with his giant limb on a scale.

                                                          For Michelangelo’s David, left and a detail of his best part, right – there is another theory: According to him, David’s penis grew quite small because of fear during the fight against Goliath. Ha Ha !

A small „member“, on the other hand, according to the art historian, would have allowed men to keep a cool head and to think logically. A virtue, from that time, the ideal Greek was rational, intellectual, and respectable.

Gothic buildings.

Do you think of naked sandstone in Gothic buildings? The Middle Ages were much more colorful than many assume: churches, castles and houses made of natural stone were usually painted in a colorful manner. Click on pics to supersize and enjoy them !

                                     As seen here in the original faithfully reconstructed Dreikönigshaus in Trier, Germany.

  The magnificent Saint-Jean cathedral in Lyon, France is one of the oldest and most magnificent gothic buildings, build in the 6th century.

Bremen’s Gothic Town Hall.

At about 1400, when the municipality of Bremen politically was on top, a new town hall was planned and built.  Localization and shape were a demonstration of municipal power against the archbishop. Bremen Market Square, completely plastered since about a century before, was now dominated by the town hall rather than by the cathedral and the archbishop’s palace.

    See on the map the layout of this big municipality building right between church and dom, showing the power against the clerus. Also interesting the famous „underground restaurant“ layout with one of the largest wine selections in the world

Both of its two halls, the upper hall and the lower hall, were a few inches longer and wider than the great hall of the episcopal palace. Alike there, the entrances were in the ends. There was (and is) no porch to the market square itself.

  Gothic buildings are for sure not boring.

The town hall in Gothic style was decorated with 16 large sculptures (seen between the large front and side windows), showing emperors and prince-electors, demonstrating Bremen’s claim of being an imperial city, and four ancient philosophers (probably originally four prophets). Bremen’s town hall is regarded as the jewel in the crown of the historical market square.

   Colorful Gothic period. Do you know this Gothic cathedral ?

Here is a wonderful book that both inspires and educates. A huge volume covering the Gothic movement in art from the 12th century to the Renaissance, it focuses largely on the development of Gothic architecture, resplendent in well-placed illustrations and photographs that evoke the grandeur of the period.

Highest Mountain on Earth.

Is it possible to climb onto the tallest mountain on Earth ? Yes it is, I have been up there once and its much easier then you think.
It is „Mount Lamlam“ (meaning „lightning“ in local Guam Chamorro language), located near the southwestern village of Agat, is the highest peak on the island of Guam, USA.

  Mount Lamlam, 406 meter (1.332 ft) above sea level.

Hikers can reach the mountain trail head across from Cetti Bay Overlook and summit in about 30 minutes. Easy walk, only handicap is temperature and humidity.

  Shrine on „Good Friday Trail“, leading up Mt. Lamlam.

Mt. Lamlam in Southern Guam (highest mountain on earth below sea level atop the Mariana Trench). Mt. Lamlam in Guam is 11.530 meter (37.828 ft) below sea level. Mauna Kea in Hawaii is 10.314 meter (33.838 ft) from below sea level. Mount Everest is 8.848 meter (29. 029 ft) from below sea level.

  Highest mountain on earth, Mt. Lamlam on Guam.

Guam sits atop the Mariana Trench, situated between the Philippine Tectonic Plate, which subducts the Pacific Tectonic Plate (earth’s old crust). The Challenger Deep (deepest part of the Mariana Trench has been measured using sonar 3x, (by 3 different scientific expeditions), showing depth ranging between 10,902m-10,916m, making it the undisputed deepest part of the ocean on Earth.

    Mt. Everest, a „shorty“ against Mt. Lamlam.

These facts gives Mt. Lamlam the distinction of being the highest mountain on Earth below sea level. If Mount Everest were dropped into the Mariana Trench at this point, its peak would still be over 1.6 kilometers (1 mile) underwater.  You didn’t know that, right ?