Large tombs

Photogallery

Large tombs
Large tombs
Large tombs
Large tombs
Period 3

In the Necropolis of the Via Triumphalis, among the large tombs, the chamber tomb No. VIII is of particular interest. This tomb is notable both for having contained a large number of sarcophagi and for the long period in which it was in use, beginning with its construction between 200 and 220 A.D. After the first burials inside the formae, the burial chamber was soon occupied by numerous marble sarcophagi positioned on the marble floor; the weight of these marble coffins even broke through the marble mosaic flooring, which was restored in ancient times. Indeed, an attempt was made to fill the gaps in the scene depicting the drunken Dionysius surrounded by erotes harvesting grapes, using large numbers of black and white tiles.
This tomb was commissioned by a wealthy Roman family who, on the basis of the titles on one of the sarcophagi, qualified as belonging to the equestrian class. The tomb therefore indicates the social standing and affluence of the upper middle class in ancient Rome.