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Almost everything we know about Ancient Rome comes from the discoveries of
archeologists. Even in the modern world, many new sites are still being discovered. We have
learned about ancient Roman traditions, entertainment, lifestyle, diseases, and many more
The Romans believed that the soul cannot rest until the body is laid to rest. The rites after
death are very important to the Romans. In fact, if an ancient Roman citizen found a dead body,
they were obligated to perform the necessary rites. Burial was the Romans first method of
dealing with the dead, then they began cremation, while continuing with burial. There are
specific rules for each step of the Roman funeral. It is said to signify the transition from life to
death. Following the proper rules for ceremonies and burial avoid having a “malicious spirit”
rising from the underworld. Five steps of the Roman funeral are known to us today: procession,
The first aspect of the funeral was the procession. It was recognized by loud noise and a
parade-like ceremony. The wealthier the dead, the more extravagant the procession. A large part
of the procession was formed by “professional mourners.’ These were women with no
relationship to the deceased’s family, who were payed to attend. According to ancient funeral
accounts, they would act like the death meant so much to them. They would supposedly wail
loudly, rip out their hair, and scratch their faces in distress from the loss. The more professional
mourners, the wealthier the deceased. Clients of the deceased, also known as freedmen,
participated in the procession to show respect. Actors with imagines, or ancestral masks, formed
the next part of the procession. They would act as deceased ancestors of the family, because
(1,2)
ancestor worship was so important to the Romans. The corpse was transported in a bed-like tray
called a bier. The family of the deceased was at the end of the procession. The processions was
The next part was cremation and burial. During cremation, the body was taken to the
necropolis and placed on a funeral pyre. There it was burned, and all remaining pieces were
interned in a funerary urn. During burial, the body would be placed inside a sarcophagus, which
was more elaborate based on the wealth of the family. No possessions were buried with the body.
In Roman Egypt, a lifelike painting of the deceased was attached on the sarcophagus before
burial. Cremation and burial continued to go in and out of popularity, but eventually burial was
The third rite is the eulogy. A eulogy would be offered at the funeral by a family
member, but only if the deceased was an important member of society and their families. The
The fourth rite is the feast. No funeral was complete without the ritual feast. It represents
the family’s ability to move forward, and told the deceased that they could continue on to the
underworld. After this step, the deceased had officially entered into the underworld. Although
feasting doesn’t seem like such an important funeral rite, it represented the final step from lilfe
into death.
Commemoration is the last rite, which happens after the deceased is gone. It is the
family’s way of showing that they still remember the lost. The Romans set apart certain days
throughout the year to remember loved ones. From February 13-21, called the Parentalia,
families take time to honor all lost ancestors. Each individual family also had their own special
(2)
days to remember family and friends they lost. One belief of the Romans is that if the deceased
family gathered around their tomb, and made an offering, this would activate the “shade.” The
shade (spirit) may remember some specific details about its life, rather than continuing to float
around the underworld with no idea that they existed. Each part of the funeral is very important,
and it was very important that all were carried out correctly.
Most of the time when an ancient burial site is discovered, everything seems to follow the
steps of the funeral, but some discoveries have been made where that is not the case. We have
learned so much about ancient Rome through the burial sites, and two unusual sites stood out to
me.
The first was discovered at a Roman necropolis in France around 2014. Hundreds of
human graves were discovered, including five skeletons with iron shackles around their
ankles/wrists/necks. The necropolis was located 250 meters away from a very popular
amphitheater in ancient Rome. These shackles suggest that those five were slaves. Slaves were
often forces to fight each other to the death in Roman gladiatorial contests. Based on its location
near an amphitheater, archaeologists suggest that the slaves might have been forced to fight each
other. Researchers are now trying to determine the cause of death, which could give us more
The second was a giant. The first complete ancient skeleton of a person with gigantism
has been discovered in Rome. He was 6 feet 8 inches tall in a time where men averaged about 5
½ feet. To verify gigantism, the researchers found evidence of skull damage consistent with
pituitary tumor, causing the human growth hormone to overproduce. We can learn a lot about
how this disease has changed over time based on this skeleton. This is a major discovery that will
(2,3,4)
Archeologists continue to search for information about ancient Rome. Everything they
discover helps us understand what life was like. These two specific sites, along with may others,
are important in helping us to understand the past and prepare for the future.
(2)
Works Cited
1. http://www.classicsunveiled.com/romel/html/romedead.html
2. https://www.ancient.eu/article/96/the-roman-funeral/
3. http://www.history.com/news/shackled-skeletons-unearthed-at-roman-necropolis-in-
france
4. https://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2012/11/121102-gigantism-ancient-skeleton-
archaeology-history-science-rome/
(2,3,4)