In the sixth book of his historical survey, which catalogues Rome from 264 until 146 B.C.E., the Greek historian Polybius details the common practices of a noble Roman funeral. As part of the memorial, the body was carried to the rostra of the Forum, where it was displayed – often sitting upright – as the eldest son and other relatives delivered speeches praising the deceased. After the burial, a death portrait, made of paint and wax and inscribed with the individual’s achievements and name, was exhibited in the villa’s atrium, where it was crowned with bay leaves on days of celebrations and removed during funerals and worn by members of the family as they led the procession to the rostra.[1]
Works Referenced
Polybius. The Histories. Trans. Robin Waterfield. New York: Oxford University Press, 2010.
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[1] Polybius, 409.
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