"Learn your lesson!" - archaeologists found an ancient shell with a message to the enemy

An unusual artefact was found during excavations of the ancient city of Hippos in present-day Israel.

It is a small lead projectile for a slingshot - a simple but effective weapon of antiquity. Such "bullets" were accelerated with a belt and could hit targets at dozens of metres.

A Greek inscription was found on one of them:

ΜΑΘΟΥ - "Learn your lesson!"

Details

Scholars note that inscriptions on such projectiles are found, but usually these are:

• names
• symbols
• wishes for victory

But such mocking phrases are very rare.

According to researchers, it was a way of psychological influence.

These inscriptions could

• mock the enemy
• intimidate
• to show confidence

In other cases, phrases like "get this" or "taste this" have been found on shells.

But the wording "learn a lesson" is unique and has never been seen before.

Why it matters

The finding shows that battles were not just physical confrontations.

Even simple weapons were used as a way to:

• convey a message
• to hurt the enemy
• to enhance the effect of an attack

Background

The projectile dates from around the 2nd century BC and was probably used during one of the battles for the city of Hippos.

Source

The study was published in the journal Palestine Exploration Quarterly.