this post was submitted on 14 Sep 2025
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Explanation: The ancient Romans used the xylospongium or tersorium for wiping purposes - a sea sponge on a stick. How lovely! In public restrooms, they would have been shared, which is probably not all that hygienic regardless of the fact that they rinsed the sponge after each use, or let it soak in vinegar or salt water when idle. Still, civilization! What marvels, right?
I believe that historians now lean towards the explanation that those were used as toilet brushes, not for the asshole.
The toilet brush position is very much a fringe view in academia and would require some rather intense explaining away of what we know about the tersorium.