Ancient Prison Records Discovered in Greece's Ruins

Matthew Larsen, an archaeologist and associate professor at the University of Copenhagen's New Testament department, has discovered remnants of a Roman prison in the ancient Greek city of Corinth.

"Historical records indicate that prisons existed in nearly every Roman city," Larsen wrote in an article for Hesperia magazine. "There is little evidence of what a Roman prison looked like or where it was located."

The prison was constructed 1,600 years ago when the Roman Empire controlled the region. Larsen identified the location of the prison by examining writings found during excavations in 1901.

Larsen noted the remnants of water jugs and lamps at the eastern entrance of the prison, which could have provided the prisoners with water and light. He believes that the conditions for holding prisoners were likely dreadful.

One record indicates that a group of prisoners was held in the cell throughout an entire winter. Some inscriptions depict game boards, suggesting that the prisoners played games to pass the time.

One record may allude to the prisoners' lovers: “Success accompanies beautiful girls who love unmarried men,” it states. Many inscriptions call for revenge against those who imprisoned them. “Lord, let them die a horrible death,” reads one of the writings.