Roman funerals and burial

When people in ancient Rome died, their families would hold a special ceremony called a funeral. This was a way for everyone to say goodbye to the person who had died and to show respect for their life.

At a Roman funeral, the body was usually brought to the family home or to a public place for people to gather around. There would be a special priest called a pontifex who would lead the ceremony and say prayers for the person who had died.

People would dress in black and mourn loudly to show how sad they were that the person had died. They might also hire professional mourners to cry and wail and make the ceremony even more emotional.

After the ceremony, the body would be carried to a place called a necropolis. This was usually outside the city, and it was where people were buried. The body would be placed in a tomb, which was like a small building made of stone or marble.

Families would often decorate the tomb with pictures or statues of the person who had died, as well as other symbols that were important to them. Sometimes they would also put offerings or gifts inside the tomb to honor the person who had died.

Over time, the tombs in the necropolis would become a kind of city of the dead, with many different structures and decorations. People would come to visit the tombs of their loved ones and bring offerings of flowers or food.

Overall, Roman funerals and burial were an important way for people to come together and honor those who had passed away. They showed how much people cared and respected the lives of those who had died, and they helped bring closure to the process of grieving.