Inscribed Bullets

~ Liv Yarrow

Social War

There are numerous slingshot bullets from Pompeius Strabo’s attack on Asculum during the Social War. That’s Pompey “the Great” ‘s dad. (ILLRP 1092, CIL 9.6086).

Example from the Naples Museum
This variation has been interpreted as “Bring Greetings to Pompeius! Bring [it]!” Fer Sal(utem) Pom(peio) Fer

The case of Pompeius on the others is disputed and in the past some of the POMP legends have been read ROMA but this looks like an error.

T. Lafrenius was known to have been one of the 12 commanders of the Italici in this war (App. BC 1.40, 47)
Mommsen was tempted to read this as short for “‘ferì Pic(entes, glans, quae venis) a
[R]om(anis)”
This also has mixed readings but the general gist is unmistakable: I wish evil upon you.

Servile War

The L. Piso f. L. COS is the consul of 133 BCE

Perugia, Museo Archeologico Nazionale dell’Umbria, collezione Rossi Scotti, inv. com. 397/32, photo by Lucio BENEDETTI (source)

Antiquarianism and glandes

Benedetti, Lucio. Glandes Perusinae : Revisione E Aggiornamenti / Di Lucio Benedetti. Roma: Quasar, 2012. Print. Opuscula Epigraphica ; 13.

Earlier Post on glans, glandes (slingshot bullets) of Sertorius, Prusine War, and one of either Pompey himself or his son.

— Update 1-22-24 —

BnF

Update 9-11-25

Undated Bullet from Athens:

BM drawing

Unknown's avatar

Published by Liv Yarrow

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