A Roman Corinthian Family Tomb and Its Afterlife

by Mary E. Hoskins Walbank and Michael B. Walbank

Hesperia, Volume 84, Issue 1
Page(s): 149-206
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.2972/hesperia.84.1.0149
Year: 2015
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ABSTRACT:

An elaborately decorated chamber tomb dating to the 2nd century A.D., the central element in a small cemetery excavated west of the city in 1931, has remained, until now, largely unpublished. We discuss the tomb's construction and decorative scheme, drawing upon the excavation notebooks and contemporary watercolors, and give a new interpretation. A revised reading of an epitaph, now securely linked to the tomb, leads to a discussion of the social status of the family, the tomb's contents, and its translation into a Christian burial place. It is a rare opportunity at Corinth to study a monumental tomb's architecture, epitaph, decoration, contents, and location as a whole.