Week 45: Nov. 10, 2024

Roman Sarcophagus, Found in Rome, 240-260 C.E., Marble

Sending a message…

The sarcophagus was decorated to share information about the deceased, and in this one, the deceased woman is standing among the muses. It is presumed that she wanted it adorned this way to show that she was a cultured woman. I kind of think it shows that she was probably intelligent and a lot of fun.

The carvings of two thousand years ago were something like today’s obituaries - and somewhat like social media - in which we get to portray ourselves as we want others to remember us. So I suppose this could be the well planned ‘selfie’ rather than the a realistic summary of a life.