Death and Burial - Rome Flashcards
Basics of Roman burial rites
- All bodies, regardless of wealth, had to be treated with respect.
- Pliny’s ghost story: improperly buried body had its ghost haunting his house until the body was properly buried.
Bodies to be placed outside of the city to remove religious pollution and disease potential. - Many buried along the roads that led to the city.
How did differences in wealth affect burials?
Most evidence comes from the wealthy people’s tombs; the less wealth would pool money in a ‘funeral club’ - traders, skilled workers; the club would pay for the mourners and larger clubs would have their own burial ground or tomb.
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Preparing the body - what happened?
- Similar to the Greeks but if possible a relative would capture the last breath of the dying person with a kiss.
- If the person died at home, family and others present would call out their name, otherwise this would be done ceremonially aftewards.
- Body was washed and dressed in finest owned clothes, and a coin was placed on the mouth.
- Wealthy: would place the body in the Atrium for 8 days allowing time for people to pay respects.
- Women would weep, moan, mourn, beat their chests.
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What was a Roman funerary procession like?
8 days after death.
Procession of family wearing funerary masks of ancestors - symbolising acceptance of the dead by the dead ancestors.
Flute and horn players would accompany the family, slaves, and freedmen.
Reasonably wealthy but small party would pay professional mourners.
Wealthy would have actors mimic the deceased as they were in life. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmKQTGeySu4
How was the Roman body dealt with?
Buried or cremated.
Wealth determined the size of the tomb.
Tombs were also built along the main roads to ensure they were commemorated publicly.
Wealth would also place their deceased in elaborate sarcophagi with paintings and carvings of myths.
A marble bust was made for the wealthy to place in their home.
They believed the dead turned in to manes, deified ancestors who would need feeding and given wine.
How were ordinary Romans taken care of?
Columbaria were places for the ashes to be placed - these were funerary halls; the name and age of deceased would be written above an alcove where the ashes were placed. Paid for from burial club memberships.
From AD 200, the Romans also built catacombs as burials replaced cremations.
Poor and slaves were placed in unmarked mass graves.
What was the Parentalia?
Annual domestic, family centered festival of nine days between 13th Feb and 21st Feb.
Temples were closed, people not allowed to marry, no official business.
On the first day, a sacrifice was made by a V Virgin.
Offerings were taken to family tombs during the first 8 days, on 9th day, the family would meet and share a meal at home.
What was the Lemuria?
Three day festival May 9th-13th to ward off evil spirits.
All temples closed, no official business, no marriages.
Supersititious rite noted by Ovid:
“When midnight has come and lends silence to sleep, and dogs and all ye varied fowls are hushed, the worshipper who bears the olden rite in mind and fears the gods arises; no knots constrict his feet; and he makes a sign with his thumb in the middle of his closed fingers, lest in his silence an unsubstantial shade should meet him. And after washing his hands clean in spring water, he turns, and first he receives black beans and throws them away with face averted; but while he throws them, he says: “These I cast; with these beans I redeem me and my family.” This he says nine times, without looking back: the shade is thought to gather the beans, and to follow unseen behind. Again he touches water, and sounds the bronze symbols, and asks the shade to go out of his house. When nine times he has cried, “Ancestral spirit, depart!” he looks back, and thinks that he has duly performed the sacred rites.” Ovid, Fasti.
