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Is the masturbating man of Pompeii really indulging in self-love?

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Have you ever heard of the story of a friend of a friend who had his mother walk in on them during a session of self-love?

We have…and our heart goes out to such people.

Now imagine being walked in on by thousands daily, year after year.

This article is about the ‘masturbating man of Pompeii,’ who found fame on the Internet more than 2000 years after he died.

Many travelers who see this man’s plaster cast while visiting Pompeii ruins also assume so and chuckle as they walk past him. 

Before we proceed, here is a brief description of what happened at Pompeii.

The ruins at Pompeii resulted of the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 A.D., which left more than ten thousand people of Pompeii and its neighborhood dead.

Since the devastation was instant, the entire city is preserved under volcanic ash, offering a unique snapshot of Roman life, frozen when it got buried.

Over 1000 bodies have been evacuated and converted into plaster molds depicting their actions when the scorching volcanic material took their lives.

Visual Story: 13 must-know tips before visiting Pompeii

And one of these bodies on display is the ‘masturbating man of Pompeii.’

Have you ever wondered what you would do if you knew you had only minutes to live?

Well, this inhabitant of Pompeii appears to have thought it through. 

Or at least, that’s what we all thought when the Archaeological Park of Pompeii shared the ‘masturbating man’s pic on Twitter and Instagram

Most netizens believed that this determined man was planning a little eruption as Mount Vesuvius erupted.

Here are some of the reactions:

Funny comment on Pompeii man masturbating
Funny tweet on Pompeii man masturbating
Funny tweet on Pompeii man wanking
Masturbating man in Pompeii
He came before going - funny
Masturbating man who loved himself
Pompeii man in self love
Masturbating man Pompeii: Evacuation or ejaculation

Recommended: Interesting Pompeii facts

And then, the scientists mess it up

People of Science always come up with explanations and mess them up for ordinary folks like us.

And that’s precisely what they did with our understanding of the masturbating man of Pompeii’s last moments. 

Of the 1,150 bodies recovered and restored by archaeologists at Pompeii, 394 got killed by falling objects such as pumice and parts of the buildings.

And the pyroclastic surge killed the other 756 – a column of superheated gas and ash released from Mt Vesuvius. 

Since this release travels hundreds of miles per hour, people are caught unaware and trapped in whatever they do now. 

Scientists believe that gas and ash may have caused asphyxiation or killed the people with a thermal shock that rapidly cooked their bodies. 

The heat resulted in instant muscle stiffening, explaining the grasping pose seen in most of Pompeii’s victims. 

This instant muscle stiffening is also known as cadaveric shock.

If the people of Science are to be believed, the gentleman never saw it coming. 

It is highly unlikely that he wanted to spend his last few moments with the one he loved the most – himself. 

Are you planning a visit to the ruins? Check out our recommendation on what to see at Pompeii.

Crazy but true: 25 Pompeii graffiti that are both raunchy and hilarious

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This article was researched & written by

Edited by Rekha Rajan & fact checked by Jamshed V Rajan

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