Commemorating Death Group 5.pdf
Posted at Feb 27/2011 11:14PM:
zchaves:
The point that you raise about demonstrating education through inscription is very interesting. Something else to consider is that these inscriptions might have been written by a hired writer, which could be construed as a way to highlight the fact that the deceased used money to ascend on the Roman social ladder.
Posted at Feb 28/2011 04:07PM:
asung: My question is why, after describing Homonoea so lavishly, with beauty and grace at her disposal, the commissioner of this tomb did not decide to include a relief of her portrait, especially because most freedmen preferred including reliefs of themselves since, as non-Roman citizens, they would not be allowed to display such funerary masks in their home. Although described as humble for the lack of ostentation and gaudiness on her gravestone, Homonoea has an inscription on her tomb that does not seem modest at all, with such descriptors as “I was that woman who was preferred over the famous girls” and “far sweeter-voiced than the sirens.” The words on her monument seem to indicate that what she wanted to be remembered by was how giving she was to her husband, how much her husband loved her, and how young and beautiful she was when her life was unfairly stolen from her—not as demure and unassuming a message as initially perceived.
Posted at Feb 28/2011 05:30PM:
cbahamon: I also wondered the same thing that asung said, as a freedwoman, why didn't Homonoea (or the commissioner) want a portrait on her gravemarker? There is no portrait on the sarcophagus of Valerius Paprianus, but, unlike Homonoea, Valerius was born a free man and would therefore likely have been able to have his own ancestor busts made during his lifetime. It also doesn't seem as though money was a limiting factor in the decision to only have text as the flora relief seems to have been very masterfully carved. Perhaps the commissioner found it more important to have the textual exchange with the passerby rather than to seek a visual visual representation of Homonoea because that way she could live on verbally.
Posted at Feb 28/2011 06:37PM:
c.hoffman: I think that for the most part this funerary monument is quite beautiful in the way Homonoea is depicted as assuaging her bereaved husband. However, I find it quite peculiar that there is such an elaborate monument dedicated mainly to a woman during this time. In lecture it was stated that most funerary monuments dedicated to women were truly erected to esteem their male family members. This monument seems to discuss Homonoea and her sentiments on death more than anything.
Posted at Mar 01/2011 03:04PM:
bchu: In response to asung and cbahamon regarding the lack of a portrait statue, I have two theories. The first is that there used to be a portrait statue, possibly quite elaborate, that this large tomb served as a pedestal for. If it was made of marble, it could have been burned later on to obtain lime. My second theory is from the inscription on the right face. Atimetus is clearly distraught by the loss of his wife, and perhaps could not bear to see her image again. Alternatively, if she was as beautiful as she was, "that woman who was preferred over the famous girls," it could be that the Atimetus did not think any sculptor was capable of accurately representing Homonoea's beauty.
Does anyone else find it odd that amongst all the beautiful poetry and prose, prominently displayed on the front is the order, "By permission of the patron, the front should be 5 feet long and the side 4 feet"? What purpose could this have?
Posted at Mar 01/2011 08:46PM:
becohen: This is interesting in that it demonstrates the importance of memorials and funerary monuments at all levels of Roman society. Although, a monument for a freedwoman does not have quite the grandeur of more upper class memorials, similar stylistic modes, such as floral backgrounds and descriptions of the deceased appear. These are likely taken from popular conventions established by public monuments that were quite plainly visible to the public.
Posted at Mar 01/2011 08:56PM:
passafuime: First, I find this to be one of the most beautiful funerary monuments because of the elaborate acanthis leaf design that borders the text. After reading the translation of what the text says, I was surprised that such a monument would be constructed for a woman, and like asung and cbahamon wonder why there is no portrait given of this woman. I wondered the same thing about the funerary monument of my group (group 7). and I also am wondering: is it not as common to have a portrait for a deceased woman as compared to a deceased man? And is this largely affected by the wishes of her husband? Just a thought.
Posted at Mar 01/2011 08:57PM:
chuang: I also thought it was not very humble. According to the inscription, she was endowed with the best of everything: beauty, voice, artistry/ability. And the borders are elaborate and intricate. I also thought it was odd that her portrait was not included. But perhaps because both the text and the border were so lavish and ornate, it might not have been of the best taste to include a portrait relief or statue as well for fear of seeming too above her place.
Posted at Mar 01/2011 09:38PM:
sengle: This is in response to the question about the lack of any kind of portraiture dedicated to Homonoea. We have discussed at length the importance of outward appearance in Rome, a society in which class position was often discernible from an individual's dress and demeanor. This obsession with exteriors and the ways in which individuals were viewed by external OTHERS is clearly illustrated in this monument. As "bchu" explained, there are numerous references to Homonoea's beauty, desirability, etc. If the explanation for the absent portrait/statue is NOT practical, an idea to entertain is that perhaps this woman was not as wonderful as the inscription states. There could be a slew of reasons why her husband would want to portray his wife kindly on her funerary monument--the most persuasive speculation, in my opinion, is that he wanted others to remember HIM as the husband of a beautiful woman. Perhaps the border with lush and flowering buds is an allusion to fertility, which is another virtuous trait for his wife to have. Therefore, the reason why there may be no portrait is because the woman was not as stunningly beautiful as purported (disregard the fact that during this period many Romans idealized faces and bodies...). Just a slightly far-fetched theory to entertain.
Posted at Mar 01/2011 09:43PM:
sspiller: I find it really interesting that you examined the way the monument would be read. It never occurred to me that the Romans would read aloud and in the manner and tone in which they read.
I'm also intrigued by the fact that this pretty sizable monument was created for a woman in a time when women would rarely be in a position to receive such a thing. Atimetus created for himself as well, but she was the focus.
Posted at Mar 01/2011 09:54PM:
jthomas: I find it interesting that the tomb was described s humble. Based on the language and prose that was used, it did not seem to have this affect. When it comes to a deceased's tomb, the most lavish display is generally wanted. It really is the last chance to make an impression, which includes displaying how wealthy you were, how beautiful, etc. It's the last chance to be remembered and, of course, to brag. I also thought it was strange that it referred to the size that the tomb should. Perhaps it was written so it could be seen that this request was fulfilled.
Posted at Mar 01/2011 10:17PM:
mstokely: Continuing the discussion of why there is no relief image of Homonoea, I think that "sengle" is headed in the right direction by stating that the lack of portraiture is based on the husbands attempt to construct his own memory. In my opinion, however, the husband is not trying to be remembered as the husband of a beautiful woman, but rather as a husband with power and wealth. This monument reminds me of the tomb of Caecilla Metella for the very same reason. Though her tomb it is a very lavish tomb dedicated to a female figure, most of the art work and symbolism is in reference to her male relatives, demonstrating their wealth and power as oppose to hers. The fact that the tomb is very lavish, yet lacks an image continues with this theme, suggesting that the husband was more concerned with presenting himself as a wealthy and power man who could afford such a tomb, rather than glorifying his wife.
Posted at Mar 01/2011 10:41PM:
kdesimone: I find that the inscriptions on this tomb are particularly interesting because they do more than invite the passerby to stop and learn from the dead person commemorated, but they actually stage conversations between Homonoea and the reader. The inscription tells the reader the appropriate response s/he should make to Homonoea's proclamations. It's also interesting that the passerby becomes a witness to the conversation between the deceased woman and her surviving husband. Despite the lack of any ostentatious and eye-catching details, the monument is really engaging as a result of these lengthy inscriptions, which become even more powerful when read aloud as they would have been. I like that we get an idea of what this woman's personality was really like when she is described as a "talkative and beaming swallow" and that we get more of her personality than a portrait of her in the likeness of a goddess would show. I do agree, however, that these inscriptions probably exaggerate the beauty and qualities of Homonoea, as they seem a little forced; the passerby is directly told to call her a "woman most worthy in life", as if he would not naturally have thought of her this way.
Posted at Mar 02/2011 02:14AM:
cwelling: This funerary monument is extremely lavish and decadent and although it is lacking a relief image of Homonoea, I think the fact that the inscriptions are as descriptive and detailed as they are and also are describing a woman is fantastic. As chuang said, maybe the reasoning behind not including a relief was because it would have been too extremely in commemorating her life so they details in and on the tomb are enough.
