Uploaded November 2022 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
In the classical world, tattoos could be marks of ethnicity, brands of servitude, or emblems of devotion. This video explores the evidence.
Please consider supporting toldinstone on Patreon:
patreon.com/toldinstone
If you liked this video, you might also enjoy my book “Naked Statues, Fat Gladiators, and War Elephants: Frequently Asked Questions about the Ancient Greeks and Romans.”
amazon.com/Naked-Statues-Fat-Gladiators-Elephants/dp/1633887022
If you're so inclined, you can follow me elsewhere on the web:
reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/wiki/profiles/toldinstone
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goodreads.com/author/show/20993845.Garrett_Ryan
Chapters:
0:00 Tattooed barbarians
1:30 The Persians
2:14 Established Titles
3:33 Slave tattoos
4:39 Tattoos in Rome
5:30 Military tattoos
6:24 Devotional tattoos
7:13 Coming full circle
In the classical world, tattoos could be marks of ethnicity, brands of servitude, or emblems of devotion. This video explores the evidence.
Please consider supporting toldinstone on Patreon:
patreon.com/toldinstone
If you liked this video, you might also enjoy my book “Naked Statues, Fat Gladiators, and War Elephants: Frequently Asked Questions about the Ancient Greeks and Romans.”
amazon.com/Naked-Statues-Fat-Gladiators-Elephants/dp/1633887022
If you're so inclined, you can follow me elsewhere on the web:
reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/wiki/profiles/toldinstone
instagram.com/toldinstone
goodreads.com/author/show/20993845.Garrett_Ryan
Chapters:
0:00 Tattooed barbarians
1:30 The Persians
2:14 Established Titles
3:33 Slave tattoos
4:39 Tattoos in Rome
5:30 Military tattoos
6:24 Devotional tattoos
7:13 Coming full circle
