Herculaneum Tombs. Funeral inscriptions on marble.

Ercolano Tombe. Iscrizioni funerarie su marmo.

Herculaneum-Gräber. Grabinschriften auf Marmor.

Tombes d'Herculanum. Inscriptions funèbres sur marbre.

Four funeral inscriptions on marble, the exact provenance of which is unknown.

Plan of Herculaneum by F. La Vega, 1796.

La Vega marks two “Sepulcretum” (§) on the south-east side of the city, on this plan.

See Ruggiero M., 1885. Storia degli scavi di Ercolano ricomposta su' documenti superstiti, Tav II (inset).

According to Waldstein –

“Of the Tombs of Herculaneum little need be said.

Omitting four funeral inscriptions on marble in the Museo Nazionale, (Note 3), the exact provenance of which is unknown, we have only notices by Weber (Note 4), Bellicard (with a plan), (Note 5), and Gori, (Note 6), all probably referring, as Ruggiero (Note 7) holds, to a single discovery (a subterranean family vault, apparently of the Nonian family). This tomb seems to have lain under the farm Moscardino, which then perhaps covered a wider extent of ground than now, in the place where La Vega marks his “Sepulcretum”.  It was divided into niches, and had names, (Note 9), inscribed above in vermilion. Urns with clay lids were found entire. The tomb was rectangular and was entered by a staircase.

Some urns were also found above this tomb at a higher level.”

See Waldstein, C. (1908). Herculaneum, past present and future, Part 1, (p.78).

Note 3: Nos. 3756, 3757, 3758, 3759.

Note 4: Between November 1750 and February 1751; Ruggiero, Scavi, etc, p. xxxvii.

Note 5: In Cochin and Bellicard, Observations sur les antiquités de la ville d’Herculanum (Bellicard’s account was written in 1750).

             See Ruggiero, Scavi di Ercolano, p.256, and Tav. VIII.22.

Note 6: Symbolae Litterariae, Decadis II. Vol. ii. Letter 23, Rome, 1751.

Note 7: Scavi, etc, p. xxxvii.

Note 8: Ruggiero, Scavi, etc., Tav. II. In corner; Plate 11 in this book.

Note 9: Cf. C.I.L. x. I. 1473-75.

Herculaneum funerary plaque to Lucius Ausidius Montanus, son of Lucius, found in July 1745. Exact location unknown.

Now in Naples Archaeological Museum. Inventory number 3756.

Photo © Epigraphic Database Heidelberg.

Decreto decurión(um)
locus sepultúrae
publice datus
L(ucio) Ausidio L(uci) f(ilio) Hor(atia) Montan(o),
comiti C(ai) Calvìsì Sabìnì.   [CIL X, 1468]

According to Cooley this is a public burial at Herculaneum.

By decree of the town councillors. Place for burial given publicly to Lucius Ausidius Montanus, son of Lucius, of the Horatian voting-tribe, on the staff of Gaius Calvisius Sabinus. (CIL X 1468)

This is one of the few epitaphs to have emerged at Herculaneum (compare F103), and honours an individual who served on the staff of C. Calvisius Sabinus on his tour of duty as provincial governor (expressed here by the technical term, comes). There were two prominent senators and consuls by the name of C. Calvisius Sabinus during the late Republic/Augustan era (consuls in 39 BC and 4 BC), so it is unclear exactly which one is mentioned here. L. Ausidius Montanus was not local to Herculaneum, as shown by his voting-tribe affiliation, which in fact he shares with Calvisius Sabinus.

See Cooley, A. and M.G.L., 2014. Pompeii and Herculaneum: A Sourcebook. London: Routledge, p. 194, F110.

Two parts of the Herculaneum funerary dedication to M. Nonius Eutychus Marciano.

Now in Naples Archaeological Museum. Inventory number 3757a and 3757b.

Third part of the Herculaneum funerary dedication to Marcus Nonius Eutychus Marcianus.

Now in Naples Archaeological Museum. Inventory number 3757c.

According to the Epigraphic Database Roma the full inscription reads

M(arco) Nónio [Ba]ḷbì l(iberto)

Eutycho Marcian(o)

d(ecreto) d(ecurionum)      [CIL X, 1472]

Herculaneum funerary plaque to Marcus Nonius Eutychus Marcianus, freedman of Balbus, found 2nd of February 1748.

Exact find location unknown.

According to the Epigraphic Database Roma this reads

[M(arco) Nonio B]albi l(iberto) Eutyĉho

[Marciano] locum sepultúr(ae)

d(ecreto) d(ecurionum).      [CIL X, 1471]

Now in Naples Archaeological Museum. Inventory number 3758.

According to Cooley this is a freedman honoured:

To Marcus Nonius Eutychus Marcianus, freedman of Balbus, a place of burial by decree of the town councillors. [CIL X 1471]

See Cooley, A. and M.G.L., 2014. Pompeii and Herculaneum: A Sourcebook. London: Routledge, p. 190, F103.

Herculaneum funerary plaque to Marcus Claudius Marcellus Aeserninus Liberto Hymenaeus.

Found 6th of August 1748. Exact find location unknown.

According to the Epigraphic Database Roma this reads

M(arco) Claudio
Marcelli
Aesernini lib(erto)
Hymenaeo,
Augustali.      [CIL X, 1448]

Now in Naples Archaeological Museum. Inventory number 3759.

Tomb finds, as described by Ruggiero, 1885.

See Ruggiero, M. (1885). Storia degli scavi di Ercolano ricomposta su’ documenti superstiti. (p. XXXVII).

Tomb finds, and the four Herculaneum marble funerary plaques, as described by Ruggiero, 1885.

See Ruggiero, M. (1885). Storia degli scavi di Ercolano ricomposta su’ documenti superstiti. (p. XXXVIII).