The dark three-word message found inscribed on 2,000 year old bullet | History | News
Stone with ancient Greek inscription found by researchers (Image: Michael Eisenberg/University of Haifa)
An ancient “bullet” has been discovered inscribed with what scientists believe is a message for those unlucky enough to find the target. The 1.3-inch-long bullet is thought to be made of lead and was used in the slingshot weapon used by the Ancient Greeks in warfare.
Using a sling, warriors could launch a piece of heavy metal weighing about 45 grams to distances of up to approximately 1000 meters; making it a very old version of a bullet. Because skilled slingshot operators can launch pieces of metal at speeds up to 100 miles per hour, being struck by a flying piece of metal can cause serious injury or even death.
This particular relic of ancient warfare was discovered by archaeologists from the University of Haifa in Israel at the site of the city of Hippos (also known as Sussita), built nearly 2,000 years ago near the interior of the Sea of Galilee.
What surprised the researchers was that this bullet, no matter who it hit, carried a message as written in Ancient Greek, with the phrase “Learn your lesson” at the beginning.
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Hippos is an ancient Greek settlement in Israel (Image: Getty)
According to Live ScienceThe Greek letters ΜΑΘΟΥ are written on the lead, and the study’s authors interpreted this inscription as a form of the Greek word “mathaíno,” meaning “to learn,” and they think the spelling indicates that it is an order meaning something like “Learn your lesson.”
Michael Eisenberg, an archaeologist at the University of Haifa, said in a statement: “Such slingshot lead bullets are well known from archaeological research at many sites dating to the Hellenistic period, particularly the 2nd century BC… but this is the first bullet in the world to bear the inscription ‘Learn’.”
“This represents the local sarcastic humor of the city’s defenders, who wanted to teach their enemies a lesson with a wink.”
The stone is believed to be the ancient equivalent of ammunition (Image: Getty)
Eisenberg and colleagues reported their findings March 10 in the journal Palestine Explorations Quarterly.
The report explains: “The item was seized with a metal detector in the Southern Necropolis, near the bed of the Sussita Stream, where an ancient road passes.
“The bullet, probably fired by the city defenders at the attackers who set off, bears the Greek letters ΜΑΘΟΥ.
“This previously unconfirmed inscription could be interpreted as a sarcastic command to the enemy: ‘Learn your lesson.’ This find joins a group of 69 lead slingshot bullets encountered at Hippos.”
The report added: “The inscribed bullet and other slings found on the ground may have been used in any of the various wars of the Hellenistic period in which Hippos was involved.
“The first was before the foundation of the city, during Ptolemaic rule, when there was a castle on the hill. During the Battle of Paneion, around 199 BC, it was conquered by the Seleucids, who later established the polis of Hippos in this area.”
