Roman Funeral Beliefs

Belief about Afterlife

The Romans believed that there was a separation of body and soul after death. The body was fixed in a place where they would be honored. The soul would only find peace when the body had been properly buried, which is why burial was important. After the body had been buried, the soul would go to the Underworld.

Preparing the Body

If the deceased held a curule office, meaning he was high-ranking, a wax impression of his face would be made. The body would be washed in warm water, rubbed with oil, and the limbs would be straightened. Ordinary citizens would be dressed in white togas while the wealthy would be dressed in rich robes. A gold coin would be placed in the mouth of the corpse for later use when the soul would

For children less than forty days old and slaves, it was required that they would be buried. Sarcophagus, a marble coffin would be used. Later on, cremation was introduced, an urn was used to place the ashes of the dead. Even after cremation, the Romans continued to practice burial, a small part of the remain, like the bone of a finger, would still be buried. The Romans saw it as a symbolic burial, others thought it would purify the family of the dead while mourning took place.

Funeral Ceremonies

The funeral ceremonies usually took place at night to prevent disruptions during the day. The parade would start from the place the body had rested to the outside of the city where it would be placed in a tomb. Most people did not have money for elaborate ceremonies. Only the wealthy could afford it. Musicians would attend with wind instruments playing in deeper tones. Mourning men and women were hired to sing praises of the dead. They would wear funeral masks that resembled the descendants of the deceased.

If a body had been lost at sea and unrecovered, it was still important to have ceremonies. In some case, cenotaphium, an empty tomb, would be raised in honor of the