Roman Death Mythology & Burial Roman Death Mythology & Burial RitualsRituals

Aleks Jimenez

Session 2 2010

Roman Mythology

Prior to the adaptation from Greek mythology many of the Roman gods were anamorphic with no human characteristic.

Once it incorporated Greek mythology did their gods, goddess and deities take human-like form.

Jupiter

Juno

From Greek To RomanFrom Greek To Roman

► Zeus = JupiterZeus = Jupiter► Hera = JunoHera = Juno► Ares = MarsAres = Mars► Hades = PlutoHades = Pluto► Apollo = ApolloApollo = Apollo► Persephone = Persephone =

ProserpinaProserpina► Poseidon = NeptunePoseidon = Neptune► Cronos = SaturnCronos = Saturn► Hermes = MercuryHermes = Mercury

Death Mythology

Pluto was the Roman god of the dead. He was the god of Tertius (Third World) and it’s riches. It is unknown if he was son of Saturn as Hades was son of Cronos. However the story of Hades and Persephone was told as Pluto and Proserpina. This is probably due to the fact that the Romans' ideas about the spirits of the underworld were very vague before adopting Greek mythology.

PlutoPluto► Pluto did not start of as the Pluto did not start of as the

god of the under world. His god of the under world. His name derives from name derives from PloutusPloutus (wealth) he was considered (wealth) he was considered as the god of silver, gold and as the god of silver, gold and other subterranean other subterranean substances. Because these substances. Because these goods were mined he was goods were mined he was later viewed as the god of later viewed as the god of the underworld. He was not the underworld. He was not known to be evil and known to be evil and although he was god of the although he was god of the dead he was often sought for dead he was often sought for his kinder traits. Pluto was his kinder traits. Pluto was not a central focus of Roman not a central focus of Roman gods, unlike Hades in Greek gods, unlike Hades in Greek Mythology. Mythology.

First Appearance of the Underworld

Virgil in Aeneid vi was the first roman writer to employ the Greek mythological picture of the underworld with its elaborate topographical décor.

Three stages:

* Limbo = infants & others who died before their time are regulated

* Hell = Legendary criminals undergo torture

* Heaven = different levels the highest Elysian field where Heroes are exempted from pain and live their life in happiness.

Roman Mythology and Roman Mythology and DeathDeath

Mythology did play a role in how Romans Mythology did play a role in how Romans viewed the afterworld. They built temples to viewed the afterworld. They built temples to honor the gods and would often offer sacrifices honor the gods and would often offer sacrifices to ensure good harvesting and good tidings. to ensure good harvesting and good tidings.

Death was closely linked with the belief that the Death was closely linked with the belief that the individual dead should be remembered with individual dead should be remembered with affection from their families and friends. They affection from their families and friends. They conduct during life and death had some bearing conduct during life and death had some bearing on the individual’s destiny afterwards. on the individual’s destiny afterwards.

Burials and Afterlife

Disposal of corpses of any kind of burial via inhumation of cremation was to take place outside the city.

This regulation laid down in the Twelve Tables was normally observed until the Late Empire. (exception Emperor)

Sanitary precautions and fear of defilement readily explained the law.

Necropolis at Sanisera

Cult of the DeadCult of the Dead

Whether public or private the cult had a double Whether public or private the cult had a double purpose. It provided that the dead survived in the purpose. It provided that the dead survived in the memories of friends and family, it also sough to ensure memories of friends and family, it also sough to ensure through the medium of devout attraction of their through the medium of devout attraction of their mortal relics in the tombs comforts, refreshments and mortal relics in the tombs comforts, refreshments and perennial renewal to life to their immortal spirits. perennial renewal to life to their immortal spirits.

Attention to the Deaths of Romans There insistent urge to secure for oneself or for one’s closest

relatives such commemoration and attention after death is abundantly attested by funerary inscriptions.

Money was left in wills, capital sums in interest (reditus usura) to be spend on the offering at the tomb of food. (cibus, esca, edulia)

Bread (panis) wines, grapes, cakes (liba), sausages (tuceta), and ceremonial meals (epulae).

These were thought of as shared by the living with the dead. There are a number of representation of funerary banquet carved on

gravestones or painted on the walls of mausolea. This is the element the cult features.