Cypriot funerary colonettes from the Roman period

Only a handful of these funerary colonettes, referred to as cippi, decorated with portrait busts, have been recovered from Roman Cyprus.  The Museum of Cycladic Art points out that this type of grave marker was used commonly from the Late Hellenistic to the Late Roman period in several parts of Cyprus, such as Limmasol (Amathous), Larnaca (Kition), Famagusta (Ammochostos) and Kyrenia but the majority are simply inscribed with the deceased name, sometimes the name of the father or spouse, and expressions of condolence such as "no one is immortal." 

The Metropolitan Museum of Art compares their appearance during this period to the development of personalized Egyptian painted portraits around the same time. I couldn't help but see the resemblence of these grave markers to chess pieces, though.There may be absolutely no connection at all but I found it interesting that the game of chess is thought to have originated around the same time (or possibly earlier) in the Gupta Empire of ancient India.  From there it spread to Persia and became part of the courtly education of Persian nobility.  Cyprus was ruled briefly by the Persians until its conquest by Alexander the Great and, eventually, the Romans in 58 BCE.  Although chess is thought to have been developed before 600 CE, its earliest origins are uncertain.

I've read a number of historical fiction novels set in ancient Rome where political maneuvers are referred to as part of "The Great Game." I can easily imagine followers of an ancient philosopher with the same viewpoint fashioning their funerary monuments to personify their lives as pieces in life's Great Game! 

Cypriot Cippus (Grave Column)  Middle-Late Roman, 100-300 CE from Tremithousa, Larnaca (Cyprus) at the Museum of Cycladic Art.

Cypriot limestone funerary cippus (tomb marker) depicting a woman named Kratea.   In an attempt to capture her individuality, she is represented with rather bony and irregular features, and her hair is parted down the middle, a convention that seems to imply that she was elderly. Her jewelry is meant as an indicator of her wealth and status.  Roman, , 2nd–3rd century CE at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. 

Cypriot limestone funerary cippus (tomb marker) depicting  a youth is identified by the Greek inscription that reads: “Good Artemidoros, farewell”, Roman, 2nd–3rd century CE at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. 

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Romans, though disciplined, still tender towards their children

Another excerpt from the lecture series: THE ROMAN EMPIRE: FROM AUGUSTUS TO THE FALL OF ROME posted by The Great Courses.

https://www.thegreatcoursesdaily.com/tombstones-a-source-to-different-facets-of-emotions-in-roman-society/

I am sometimes asked about Roman attitudes towards their families and children with the questioner assuming the disciplined Romans were less affectionate than we are and I point to Roman tombstone inscriptions like the one below illustrating how the Romans loved their children as much as we do.

‘Spirits who live in the underworld, lead innocent Magnilla through the groves and the Elysian Fields directly to your places of rest. She was snatched away in her eighth year by cruel fate while she was still enjoying the tender time of childhood. She was beautiful and sensitive, clever, elegant, sweet, and charming beyond her years. This poor child who was deprived of her life so quickly must be mourned with perpetual lament and tears.’

The Great Courses' article continues the discussion of Roman funerary inscriptions and attitudes toward the afterlife.

Here's a better image of the 2nd century Roman sarcophagus depicting the Triumph of Dionysus that I photographed at the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore Maryland back in 2004, though.

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Insight provided by Roman funerary inscriptions

Roman tombstone (PD)

Roman Funerary inscriptions on tombstones provide invaluable insight into the lives of ordinary Romans. Funerary inscriptions revealed that many women worked. Many of them were doctors. For example:

‘To the departed spirit of Julia Saturnina, 45 years of age, wonderful wife, excellent physician, most blameless woman. Erected by her husband Cassius Philippus out of gratitude. She lies here, and may the earth rest lightly upon her.’

Other professions attested to women’s tombstones included scribe: ‘To Hapate, short-hand writer of Greek. She lived for 25 years. Pittosus erected this monument to his most affectionate wife,’ or merchant: ‘Thymele, Marcella’s dealer in silk’ or actress: ‘Luria Privata, an actress in mime shows, lived 19 years. Bleptus made this monument.’

The epitaphs of men also illustrated a variety of jobs, from humble laborers like ‘Publius Marcius Philodamus, construction worker, freedman of Publius,’ or those with more specialized careers: ‘Here lie the bones of Quintus Tiburtinus Menolavus, freedman of Quintus, who made living slaughtering animals for sacrifices.’

Some men took great pride in their jobs, as in the case of a teacher whose epitaph stated: ‘Having left the famous city of Bithynia Nikaia as a young man, I came to the land of the Italians, and in the sacred city of Rome, I taught mathematics and geometry. This is the monument that I, Basileus, made, having paid for the work by making a living with my mind.’

https://www.thegreatcoursesdaily.com/tombstone-epitaphs-and-the-meaning-of-funerary-inscriptions-in-ancient-rome/

In the free online FutureLearn course, "Hadrian's Wall: Life On The Roman Frontier," I had the opportunity to learn how to decipher some of the abbreviations used on Roman tombstones and dedicated altars.  Such as:

Line 1: D(EO) IN(VICTO) M(ITHRAE) S(ACRUM)
Line 2: AVL(VS) CLVENTIVS
Line 3: HABITVS PRAEF(ECTVS)
Line 4: COH(ORTIS) I
Line 5: BATAVORVUM
Line 6: DOMV VLTI
Line 7: NA COLON(IA)
Line 8: SEPT(IMIA) AVR(ELIA) L(ARINO)
Line 9: V(OTUM) S(OLVIT) L(IBENS) M(ERITO)

Which is transliterated as:

Line 1: SACRED TO THE INVINCIBLE GOD MITHRAS
Line 2: AULUS CLUENTIUS
Line 3: HABITUS, PREFECT
Line 4: OF THE 1ST COHORT
Line 5: OF BATAVIANS,
Line 6: OF THE ULTINIAN VOTING TRIBE
Line 7: FROM COLONIA
Line 8: SEPTIMIA AURELIA LARINUM
Line 9: WILLINGLY AND DESERVEDLY FULFILLED HIS VOW

Professor Ian Haynes points out that often in Roman dedicatory inscriptions more information is given about the dedicant, who is showing the community that he has honored his vow, than about the deity. In this case the text focuses on Aulus Cluentius Habitus, his command and place of origin.  We were given access to a database of Roman funerary inscriptions and provided with the opportunity to translate some sample inscriptions.

https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/hadrians-wall

The six week course is in progress right now and students can join at any time.   One of FutureLearn's most popular courses, it is also offered multiple times during the year.  The course is free but I paid the extra $69 fee so I could have access to the course materials as long as they remain on FutureLearn's website.  I also received a digital certificate for completion that can be used as evidence for continuing education credits.

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