Necropolis
Out side of the center of Carmona, Spain is the Roman era Necropolis dating from the 1st and 2nd centuries. It was here that well to do citizens buried their dead. For the very wealthy it was an opportunity to show it off and this most showy tomb is the Tomb of Servilia. Below is a long description for those interested in Roman burial beliefs and practices.
During the 1st and 2nd centuries, high-ranking citizens were customarily buried outside the city walls, in specially constructed tombs on the sites of earlier burial grounds. These cemeteries were located usually on either side of the main roads radiating from the city centre. The Roman necropolis, the largest cemetery in Carmo, was located along the shoulders of the Via Augusta going towards Hispalis (Seville). It consists of ancient Tartessian funerary monuments and Roman tombs, which all shared one trait: the bodies of the dead were buried in a bent position, always with their heads facing westward. Cremation became common at the end of the 1st century. The Tomb of Servilia was the most monumental tomb of the Carmona necropolis. It was built to resemble a complete Roman villa and had a courtyard surrounded by porticos of colonnaded arches. These were lined with statues, many of which have been recovered by archaeologists and are now in the Carmona City Museum and the Museo Arqueológico of Seville. The Tomb of Servilia served not only as a burial place for an influential patrician family with its columbarium and large circular mausoleum, but also as a conspicuous display of their wealth.
The Roman funeral was a rite of passage that signified the transition between the states of life and death. It was very important to conduct the proper ceremonies and burial in order to avoid having a malicious spirit rising from the underworld. While no direct description of Roman funerary practices has been passed down, numerous ancient sources exist that provide accounts of ancient funerals. Generally, there were five parts to a Roman funeral: A procession, cremation and burial, eulogy, feast, and commemoration.
The funeral procession was marked by the movement of bodies, both living and dead, and the loud noise that it generated. The more wealthy and famous the deceased was in life, the flashier the funeral procession would be with mimes and musicians. For the poor, perhaps only a few flute players would play music at the procession.
Professional mourners formed a large part of the procession. These were women who were not members of the deceased’s family, and had to be paid to participate. According to accounts of funerals, they would wail loudly and literally rip out their hair and scratch their faces in mourning. A large number of professional mourners signified that the deceased was a wealthy and powerful individual.
It was believed that until the body was interred, the “shade” (spirit) had not crossed the River Styx.
No funeral was complete unless there was a ritual feast at the end of it. The funeral was the final marker that told the deceased that he/she could continue on to the underworld and the family would be able to move forward.
Once the body was buried or cremated, the deceased still had to be remembered. The Roman state set apart certain days each year to remember loved ones, including the Parentalia, held from February 13 to 21, to honor the family's ancestors. Individual families had personal days for commemorating the deceased, as well.
It was believed that if the deceased’s family gathered around his/her tomb and made an offering, this would activate and placate the “shade” (in other words, the “shade” or spirit might remember some details about its life, rather than continuing to float around the underworld with no memory of its existence. [Wikipedia]
Necropolis
Out side of the center of Carmona, Spain is the Roman era Necropolis dating from the 1st and 2nd centuries. It was here that well to do citizens buried their dead. For the very wealthy it was an opportunity to show it off and this most showy tomb is the Tomb of Servilia. Below is a long description for those interested in Roman burial beliefs and practices.
During the 1st and 2nd centuries, high-ranking citizens were customarily buried outside the city walls, in specially constructed tombs on the sites of earlier burial grounds. These cemeteries were located usually on either side of the main roads radiating from the city centre. The Roman necropolis, the largest cemetery in Carmo, was located along the shoulders of the Via Augusta going towards Hispalis (Seville). It consists of ancient Tartessian funerary monuments and Roman tombs, which all shared one trait: the bodies of the dead were buried in a bent position, always with their heads facing westward. Cremation became common at the end of the 1st century. The Tomb of Servilia was the most monumental tomb of the Carmona necropolis. It was built to resemble a complete Roman villa and had a courtyard surrounded by porticos of colonnaded arches. These were lined with statues, many of which have been recovered by archaeologists and are now in the Carmona City Museum and the Museo Arqueológico of Seville. The Tomb of Servilia served not only as a burial place for an influential patrician family with its columbarium and large circular mausoleum, but also as a conspicuous display of their wealth.
The Roman funeral was a rite of passage that signified the transition between the states of life and death. It was very important to conduct the proper ceremonies and burial in order to avoid having a malicious spirit rising from the underworld. While no direct description of Roman funerary practices has been passed down, numerous ancient sources exist that provide accounts of ancient funerals. Generally, there were five parts to a Roman funeral: A procession, cremation and burial, eulogy, feast, and commemoration.
The funeral procession was marked by the movement of bodies, both living and dead, and the loud noise that it generated. The more wealthy and famous the deceased was in life, the flashier the funeral procession would be with mimes and musicians. For the poor, perhaps only a few flute players would play music at the procession.
Professional mourners formed a large part of the procession. These were women who were not members of the deceased’s family, and had to be paid to participate. According to accounts of funerals, they would wail loudly and literally rip out their hair and scratch their faces in mourning. A large number of professional mourners signified that the deceased was a wealthy and powerful individual.
It was believed that until the body was interred, the “shade” (spirit) had not crossed the River Styx.
No funeral was complete unless there was a ritual feast at the end of it. The funeral was the final marker that told the deceased that he/she could continue on to the underworld and the family would be able to move forward.
Once the body was buried or cremated, the deceased still had to be remembered. The Roman state set apart certain days each year to remember loved ones, including the Parentalia, held from February 13 to 21, to honor the family's ancestors. Individual families had personal days for commemorating the deceased, as well.
It was believed that if the deceased’s family gathered around his/her tomb and made an offering, this would activate and placate the “shade” (in other words, the “shade” or spirit might remember some details about its life, rather than continuing to float around the underworld with no memory of its existence. [Wikipedia]