Tag Archives: Sarcophagus

Written by Lauren Groff, Contributing Writer, Classical Wisdom The Romans had an enormous reverence for their ancestors and for death itself. What were their beliefs and customs surrounding the passing and burial of their loved ones?  Belief In the Afterlife It was exceedingly important for the Romans to leave an enduring memory of themselves behind

Written by Barry Ferst, Contributing Writer, Classical Wisdom Serving as a “billboard” for the faithful, images sculpted on Roman-era marble coffins offer a visualization of the Gospel of Bacchus, a graphic stone bible especially meaningful to devotees contemplating death’s doorway. Since much about the cult of Bacchus remains a mystery, a beautifully-carved frieze on a

Written by Barry Ferst, Contributing Writer, Classical Wisdom From 125 to 450 C.E. Romans thought it fashionable to buy stone coffins in which to inter their dead. The coffin was an oblong stone box approximately six feet by three feet and three feet in height with an interior cavity for the deceased. On the front