Washington, Oct 11 (ANI): Residents in the ancient city of Pompeii, Italy, were great graffiti artists and used to write on walls of houses, bath houses and even kitchens, according to an expert.

Rebecca Benefiel, assistant professor of classics at Washington and Lee University, has spent the last three years studying the more than 11,000 graffiti in Pompeii.

“It’s the only site where we have an entire city’s worth of these messages,” she said.

The graffiti present a combination of writing and drawings, with writing being the more common form of expression.

Benefiel said she sees the graffiti as the voice of the people and a lens through which to view ancient society.

For example, although Emperor Nero has not been the favourite among historians, he was in fact very popular with the locals in Pompeii.

Benefiel came across numerous graffiti saying “Neroni Feliciter,” which roughly translates into “Long Live Nero.” (ANI)