ABSTRACT
In Petronius’ Satyricon, Encolpius, the narrator of the work, at first insists that Eumolpus cover Giton and himself with ink so that they might pass as Ethiopian slaves. All this in an elaborate attempt to sneak off a ship they had boarded without being noticed by two passengers from their past they wished to avoid. Giton rejects the idea, saying it was as ludicrous as circumcising yourself to look like a Jew, piercing your ears to look Arabian or rubbing chalk all over your face to look like a Gaul (102). To truly pass as an Ethiopian slave, dying yourself with ink would not be enough. Giton notes that it would also require fuller lips, curled hair, bowed legs, turned ankles, beards, and – above all – carving cicatrices (scars) into their foreheads. After all, tattoos and, less frequently, branding were common penance for slaves recaptured after running away (Jones 1987). Thus when Martial (8.75) mentions four inscripti who were carrying a body to be thrown on a mass pyre, the audience would have easily understood that the reference was to servile funeral workers. Rather than endure such intense body modification, however, the clever Eumolpus suggests instead that they put fake scars on their foreheads and shave all their hair off (103.1) so as only to appear to be slaves. However, when Lichas, the archenemy of the duo, finds out about the on-board haircuts, he orders them to be flogged. Even if the scars on their foreheads were fake, the wounds on their backs would leave permanent, visual and real reminders of their foiled ruse.
