I have finished the last few pages of the article from my previous research post:
Erasmo, Mario. "Among The Dead In Ancient Rome." Mortality 6.1 (2001): 31-43. Academic Search Complete. Web. 11 Sept. 2013
Below is a quote from the article where Erasmo discusses the epitaphs of Ancient Rome.
"Whereas private wills communicate the deceased’s wishes,
epitaphs communicate publicly and preserve a culture of burial as a reflection
of society, complete with class distinctions, morality and physical
descriptions of the dead. A Roman burial site, much like the earlier Etruscan
necropolis, was a reflection of life, in that it was not without sound, since
the dead, through the voices of a passer-by (viator), speak for themselves in
tomb inscriptions. These include descriptions in the first person of their
former identities, moral character, family and station in life, as well as
greetings and warnings to the living, whether a descendant or stranger
(wayfarer: viator, reader: lector). (39)"
He also mentions that the inclusion of the deceased's reputation was something that was unique to Ancient Rome. I found this especially interesting because the dead wrote their own and it also made me question what would be done if a person died without warning and could not write their own.
Aside from the Epitaphs Erasmo briefly talks about the grave sites and mentions that often times there would be grave orchards or vineyards. This was so that the deceased could provide for future burial offerings as well as provide food or wine for an annual feast where the living would come and dine with the deceased at their tomb.
Discussion: I find it interesting how the dead have an active role in the lives of those still living. At the funerals they are portrayed through actors and thus taking part in their own funerals and then after they have been buried they continue to provide for the living and their relatives come an dine with them. In my post for next week I am thinking of including some information about their beliefs and how these practices tie in.
As I mentioned in my brief update I have also been reading a book from Kent Library:
Erasmo, Mario. Reading Death in Ancient Rome. Columbus: Ohio State University Press, 2008.
So far this book has included a lot of information about funerals and death in the literary sense. Looking at works of fiction, poems, and plays to examine the topic. While these do give some insight into the funeral practices of Ancient Rome I can't really say how much of the information is factual. For this reason the book hasn't given me a lot of new information. Because it is by the same author as my article some of the historical funeral studies are repeats from the article although slightly expanded on. There are some newer examples though.
I have learned that often times, for upper class citizens, the funeral would be set up as sort of a play. The body of the deceased would be raised up on a pedestal of some sort and then statues of the deceased ancestors would be places in chairs that were arranged in a row before the pedestal as a sort of audience.The readings in some parts were slightly vague as to what the "ancestors" were made out of or if they were also actors bearing the mask. Hopefully after reading further into the book I will be able to figure that out.
The most interesting part of my reading was when the author mentioned that a funeral home in St. Louis offers staged funerals that are meant to pay homage to the deceased and their passions in life. Below is an interview from the funeral home conducted by CBS News.
Video from CBS News
I am particularly intrigued by the concept of actors playing the roles of the deceased not only at the funeral, but afterwards as well. I am envisioning a process where actors audition before the dying! You seem to be putting a lot of thought into your research and blog and I look forward to following you.
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