The document summarizes information about tombs and burial practices in Pompeii and Herculaneum. It describes the types of tombs found, including podium, aedicula, niche, and altar styles. It also discusses the development of tomb architecture over time, from simple tufa structures to more elaborate marble designs. Additionally, it outlines religious rituals and beliefs associated with death and burial, such as the use of libations, banquets, and the Parentalia festival honoring the dead.

1. Pompeii & Herculaneum
The Necropolis

2. Value and Limitations
• can recreate some of the religious rites performed at
the graveside
• can mine the tombs for information about society,
tracing family relationships and social mobility, political
careers and occupations
• reconstruct the way in which the tomb environment
conveyed various messages concerning, for example,
social status, family or political connections.
• Children and slaves are under-represented, while
freedmen and freedwomen are overrepresented
• know little about the town’s population before the
colony was established

3. Beliefs
• Romans believed in an afterlife –
Underworld? Apotheosis?
• dead were not to be buried within
the city walls by law
• graves were dedicated to
– individuals
– an individual’s juno/genius
– the spirits the dead they were joining
in the underworld (dis manibus)
• violent death, failure to complete
social role, or incomplete funeral
rites could result in restless dead

5. Herculaneum’s Tombs
• Cemetery areas of Herculaneum
remain buried under the modern
town
• Since 18th century, some
tombstones have been dug up
• Columbarium SE of theatre
• Construction workers found a
columela tombstone and cremation
during 1980s 600 NE of excavated
site
• A funerary altar to Marcus Nonius
Balbus was excavated on the
terrace above the beachfront –
appears to be singular

8. Pompeii’s Tombs
• Outside the Gates
– Vesuvio Tombs (located closest to Mount Vesuvius)
– Ercolano Tombs (Located outside the south west gate)
– Stabia Tombs (located outside the Stabian gates)
– Fondo Pacifico Tombs
– Nocera Tombs
– Nola Tombs
• Porta Nocera necropolis is predominantly socially ambitious
freedmen and their families- tomb of Eumachia provides an
exception
• Porta Ercolano necropolis has a higher concentration
here of those of the magisterial order

9. Development over time 1
• During Samnite period
inhabitants practiced
inhumation
• Tufa structures – burials
marked by collumelae
• During Roman period
buried cremated remains in
urns – adopt collumelae
• Epidii family graves near
Porta di Stabia show this
development

11. Plan of Porta Ercolano necropolis, Pompeii; after Kockel 1983, drawn by B. F.
Weber

12. • Post-80 BC monumental tombs
• republican period: “multi-storey” tombs with tall
podium and cella or aedicula – predominantly brick
• late republican/early Augustan: circular superstructure,
preference for multiple burials in a single structure
• Augustan/Tiberian: schola tomb – use of marble
• Post earthquake - impoverishment in the funerary
record, simple vaulted niches, paint/stucco decoration,
squeezed into gaps between existing tombs
Development over time 2

13. Podium Tombs
• Podium tombs supporting a
circular superstructure
• e.g., the tomb of Veia Barchilla
and Numerius Pulcher

14. Aedicula Type Tombs
• Multi-storey aedicula tombs,
often elevated on a tall
podium
• e.g., the tomb of Marcus
Octavius and Vertia
Philumina

15. Large Niche Type Tombs
• Tombs with large
arcuated niches
built into their
façades
• e.g., the tomb of
L. Barbidius

16. Multiple Niche Type Tombs
• Tombs with numerous
niches, either interior
or exterior, for the
location of cinerary
urns
• e.g., the tomb of the
Flavii

17. Altar Type Tombs
• Altar tombs, also often
elevated on a high base
• e.g., the tomb of
Umbricius Scaurus

18. Exedra or Schola Type Tomb
• preserve of the highest echelon of
Pompeian society: duoviri,
quinquennales, priests (& wives)
• Built in pomerium zone close to gates
• semicircular bench with high back,
sides
• sculpted lion’s or griffin-lion’s feet,
• Graceful column (which may be
capped with an elegant stone urn)
• e.g. tomb of Aesquilia Polla or tomb of
priestess Mamia

19. Poor Burials
• A series of inscriptions (CIL X
8349–61), which appear to be
epitaphs, are inscribed directly
upon the masonry of the town
walls between the Sarno and
Nolan Gates, rather than upon
separate tombstones.
• nearby were found thirty-
eight cinerary urns containing
cremations.
• perhaps represent burials of
the poorer inhabitants of
Pompeii.

20. Religious Rites
• Expensive frankincense and perfumes offered at funeral pyre.
• Libations (poured offerings, various perfumed liquids, wine and
oils) poured over the burial area.
• Banquets often held, consisting of eggs, vegetables, lentils, broad
beans and chicken nearby the location of the funeral in the
Necropolis.
• Broad beans were believed to provide protection against the
dead, who would return to hurt the living.
• After the feast there was a 9 day mourning period.

21. Tombs as spaces
• Many tombs though to
include gardens
• Used as bulletin boards
• The tomb of duumvir Marcus
Obellius Firmus had a large
blue glass cinerary urn under
the tiles with a terracotta
tube for the pouring of
libations into the ground.
• The tomb of Gnaeus Vibrius
Saturnius, was constructed
similar to a triclinium, for all
those who died after him to
have ‘memory meals’ after
their burial in his tomb
Tomb of Gnaeus Vibrius Saturninus – a triclinium?
Tomb of Marcus Obellius Firmus – dipinti and tube

22. The Parentalia (Feralia)
• The Parentalia took place on the 13th of
February annually to remember the dead and
carry out special rites (like further libations of
tombs).
• This festival of remembrance lasted until the
21st, celebrating the Feralia (ancient roman
festival celebrating the manes) with family
groups making offerings at the dead relatives
graves.

23. Statues
• Men in toga
• Women in pudicitia pose
(denoting chastity)
• Advertises the deceased’s
social position

24. Painting - C. Vestorius Priscus
• Career
• Symbolic images - garden

25. Mythological Themes
Vesonia P. f. as Ceres Victory, Oedipus & the Sphinx,
Heracles from stucco on tomb of
C. Calventius Quietus

26. Epitaphs
• Epitaphs were prominently located, usually on the podium or in the
gable- intended to attract the attention of passers-by.
• Most are titulus type: name, filiation and, tribal association
• ~380 names known from funerary inscriptions at Pompeii
• almost half are known from columellae, attesting to the importance
of the stela as part of the tomb furnishing
• also reveals is the inability of the patron to control, via the titular
epitaph, who the subsequent tomb occupants would be
• analysis of epitaphs from the Porta Nocera necropolis, comparing
the number of persons named in each with the minimum number
of persons actually buried (as deduced from the number of
columellae and/or ash urns) found in nearly every case the number
of burials far exceeds the number mentioned