Funeral Customs of the Ancient Romans

Roman Influence -The Romans borrowed and adapted much of their culture from the Greeks. -Many details of Roman funeral and undertaking operations foreshadowed our work today. -We will now start to see the emerging role of the modern day Undertaker. -The Romans made great strides in defining the character, status and occupational of the modern Funeral Director.

Roman view of death Animistic view- the doctrine that believes that the soul is vital and the soul of a man although separated at death from the body it will hover around the place of burial for continued peace and happiness and requires food and drink constantly from the survivors. Therefore, the dead were offered basic food necessities.

Roman View of Death Continued Influence of Mystery Cults- People had the hope of joining a cult god in a wonderful place- or the horror of a world of torment, gloom, and continued unhappiness. or the horror of a world of torment, gloom, and continued unhappiness. Epicurean influence- believed that there was no after-life, the body simply disintegrated back to atoms. after-life, the body simply disintegrated back to atoms. “…eat and drink for tomorrow we die…”

Roman View of Death Continued Influence of Christianity- Dominate Religion by 300 A.D. We now start to see a theological orientation to death- Organization of beliefs about man and his Maker. Customs were patterned for the most part by the Christian mode of sepulture of Christ Some form of afterlife was envisioned by the Romans at all times.

Roman Burial Customs: Cremation- -Common until the first century after Christ. -Was later discouraged by the Mystery Cults of the Orient and the rise of Christianity. Burial- -Because of sanitation it was not permitted within the walls of Rome. -Cremation was replaced by burial with the Christian Influence.

Roman Burial Customs: Excavation- -Burial was extramural (outside the city walls). Class Distinctions- -The rich had tombs. -The poor had a common pit commune sepulcurum. Tombs or Columbaria- -Held the cremated dead.

Roman Burial Customs: Burial Societies- -Assured burial of the poorer classes of people. Death was a part of life- -There was no hurriedly putting the dead out of sight. ~Do you feel that we put death out of sight today?

Roman Burial Customs: Preparation of the dead- -The person died in the presence of his family. -The body was washed, anointed and laid out with a toga, and decorated with the insignia of rank the dead had achieved. -Placed on a funeral couch with the feet towards the door to then lie in state for a length of time flowers and incense were present. ~Where do we see this today?

Roman Burial Customs: Preparation of the dead- -The well to do people were taken care of by professional undertakers who took care of the arrangements for the funeral procession and burial also. -The body was not embalmed to last like the Egyptians but rather just to make it through lying in state without putrefaction. -Most embalming was done superficially. Cavity embalming was only done for the rich.

Funeral Functionaries: Libitina- goddess of corpses and funerals. Libitinarius- Head Undertaker-took care of most of the arrangements. Pollinctores- The Embalmers-were slaves or employees of the Libitinarius.

Funeral Functionaries: Designators-Directed the funeral Procession and was the master of ceremonies. Praeco-Crier, let everyone know about the funeral by crying in the streets. These officials were debarred from participation in Political life, but if they ever quit they could be elected to the highest magistracies.

Early Funeral Directing: Funeral Procession/Services- -Usually held at night, the high status funerals were during the day. -The body was moved outside the city where cremation or burial took place. -Consecration of the burial site took place and guests threw dirt on the coffin. -Mourning period was observed.

Early Funeral Directing: Professional Mourners- -Romans used professional mourners….did not want to offend the dead. -Women were hired to “shriek and beat their breasts with abandon.” -The ceremony ended with the conclamatio mortis(calling out of the dead), as they tore their hair out and tore their clothes and scratched their faces until they drew blood, while circling the coffin.

Early Funeral Directing: Influence of Constantine and Christianity on funeral behavior- -Everyone received a burial even if they could not afford it, the State would pay. -They were Given a coffin, a religious procession, the grave was dug and the body was buried. Do you think the Roman State should pay for the funeral of the poor? Why?

Early Funeral Directing: Funerary Customs- Funeral behavior was slowly becoming a function of the church.

The Roman Influence The Roman Undertaker- As an arranger, manager and director of funeral affairs, as well as a supplier of mortuary goods, sets a pattern of occupational behavior meaningful to the funeral director of the mid-twentieth century. -The Romans were the first to create mortuary law. These laws have been an enduring pattern for public protection in the matter of the disposal of our dead.