Tomb of Eurysaces the Baker

The tomb of Marcus Vergilius Eurysaces the baker is one of the largest and most well preserved freedmen funerary monuments in Rome. Its sculpted friezes are classic exemplars of the "plebeian style" in Roman sculpture, which was eventually to overwhelm the Greek influenced style of the Imperial court. Eurysaces built the tomb for himself and his wife, Atistia, and it is located at Porta Maggiore. The tomb was built in the late Republic (ca. 50-20 BC) but later was transformed as it became part of the Aurelian Wall and the Porta Maggiore, created 80 years later under emperor Claudius. [Peterson, Lauren Hackworth. “The Baker, His Tomb, His Wife, and Her Breadbasket: The Monument of Eurysaces in Rome.”The Art Bulletin, Vol. 85, No. 2. (Jun., 2003), pp. 230-257.] What is interesting about this extravagant tomb is that a freedman, a former slave, built it.

Marcus Vergilius Eurysaces

Much can be inferred about Eurysaces simply from his name. The first part, or the praenomen and nomen, is from a well known family that owned Eurysaces during his time as a slave. His given name, Eurysaces, is of Greek origin, specifically from the region of Syria. It can also be inferred that he either sold himself or was sold by his family into slavery, possibly to give him an opportunity to become a baker one day. [Strong, Anise. “Women, Slaves and Non-elites.” Roman Civilizations. Northwestern University, Evanston, IL. 8 May 2007.]

Description

This monument is just as much a monument to Eurysaces as it is to the profession of baking. Only one of two inscriptions on his epitaph survived and it says: “EST HOC MONIMENTUM MARGEI VERGILEI EURYSACES PISTORIS REDEMPTORIS APPARET,” or in English, “This is the monument of Marcus Vergilius Eurysaces, baker, contractor, public servant.” [Platner, Samuel Ball. “Sepulchrum Eurysacis.” A Topographical Dictionary of Ancient Rome, Edited by Thomas Ashby. London: Oxford University Press, 1929. ] While the final word in this quote, "Apparet", is often translated as public servant, the actual Latin word for a public servant is Apparitor. Apparet is a verb meaning to appear or make apparent, this translation however does not seem to fit the rest of the inscription. The word Apparet is yet to be translated within the context of this quote. Since only a small percent of the Roman population was literate, the inscriptions are below a frieze decorated with scenes from baking, to further emphasize the theme.

One of the most striking features of this 33-foot-tall tomb is the series of cylindrical holes along the sides. This is very different from the classical Roman styles of tombs, and thus, allows Eurysaces’ tomb to stand out on the very busy Via Praenestina and Via Labicana [Peterson, Lauren Hackworth. “The Baker, His Tomb, His Wife, and Her Breadbasket: The Monument of Eurysaces in Rome.”The Art Bulletin, Vol. 85, No. 2. (Jun., 2003), pp. 230-257.] , the streets that intersected next to the monument. It was later discovered that these unusual holes are the exact size of one unit of grain, so some people believe that Eurysaces was also creating a practical contribution to his society. [Strong, Anise. “Women, Slaves and Non-elites.” Roman Civilizations. Northwestern University, Evanston, IL. 8 May 2007.]

Freedmen's Tombs

This tomb is one of many lavish tombs created by freedmen. These men were at first slaves, but from the help of their masters, were able to buy their freedom and begin their own livelihoods. They were proud of their freedom and earnings. Because of this, they many times created such lavish funerary monuments, such as Eurysaces’ tomb. These freedmen had no family lines, which were important in Roman society. Therefore, these tombs may have been attempts at beginning a family history for future generations to appreciate.

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