Spirits of the dead : Roman funerary commemoration in Western Europe / Maureen Carroll.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Carroll, Maureen.

Series:

Oxford studies in ancient documents

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Sepulchral monuments--Rome.

Sepulchral monuments.

Epitaphs--Rome.

Epitaphs.

Classical antiquities.

Europe, Western--Antiquities, Roman.

Europe, Western.

Funeral rites and ceremonies--Rome.

Funeral rites and ceremonies.

Rome--Social life and customs.

Rome.

Rome (Empire).

Manners and customs.

Rome--Social conditions.

Social conditions.

Western Europe.

Physical Description:

xx, 331 pages : illustrations, maps ; 24 cm.

Place of Publication:

Oxford ; New York : Oxford University Press, 2006.

Summary:

Spirits of the Dead examines the importance attached to preserving the memory of the dead in the Roman world, and explores the ways in which funerary inscriptions can be used to reconstruct Roman lives, however fragmentarily and imperfectly. It is the only study to examine epigraphic, historical, and archaeological evidence in order to gain insight into the way Romans used funerary texts to establish a dialogue with their own society. Maureen Carroll brings together a large body of material from many geographical areas, shedding light on provincial and regional variation in funerary commemoration and even on the differences between funerary traditions of neighboring towns.

Contents:

Memory and commemoration

Anonymity, violation, and memory loss

Selecting a monument

Conveying a message

Causes of death

Family and household

Mapping population movement

Social mobility and social change

Death on earth, life in heaven.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages [301]-321) and index.

ISBN:

0199291071

9780199291076

OCLC:

70131152