Funerary bust of Simon of Trent, a 2-year-old Italian boy who was found murdered in 1475. 15 local Jews were blamed and burnt alive. His corpse was said to perform miracles, so a cult began to worship him. He holds palm and laurel branches, symbols of Christian martyrs. Getty Museum. Los Angeles, CA
The Via Sacra is a cobblestone Roman road which spans the acropolis of Cuma in Italy, connecting the Temple of Jupiter atop the 80-meter hill with the Temple of Apollo below. The area was renovated around the 2nd century CE, becoming a colonnaded street in the style of shady eastern promenades. [OC]
Roman decorative plaques at the entrance of the Bakery of Modestus. Pompeii, circa 1st century CE. The ithyphallic motif was likely apotropaic, instilling fortune and fertility while preempting evil. Below, a geometric relief complements the pilaster. 80 loaves were preserved in the ovens here. [OC]
The Insula Romana of the Capitoline Hill, a five-story apartment complex which housed 380 tenants, was built in the 2nd century CE. Shopfronts on the ground floor were connected to dwellings above. Higher stories hosted much smaller rooms, as the city struggled with overcrowding among the poor. [OC]
3 bronze Roman objects depicting boxers. Left: counterweight for a commercial balance scale, 1st century CE. Center: oil jar with a gap-toothed frown and leather cap, 1st century CE. Right: statuette of a middle-aged dwarf-slave with gloves raised, 2nd century CE. Getty Villa. Pacific Palisades, CA.
The Insula Romana of the Capitoline Hill, a five-story apartment complex which housed 380 tenants, was built in the 2nd century CE. Shopfronts on the ground floor were connected to dwellings above. Higher stories hosted much smaller rooms, as the city struggled with overcrowding among the poor. [OC]
Roman tablinum (reception hall/office) of the House of the Wild Boar, circa 62-79 CE, Pompeii. View from the atrium, looking into the peristyle. The Fourth Style frescoes are complemented by small animal hunt scenes and faux-marble panelling. The home was under renovation when Vesuvius erupted. [OC]
Funerary bust of Simon of Trent, a 2-year-old Italian boy who was found murdered in 1475. 15 local Jews were blamed and burnt alive. His corpse was said to perform miracles, so a cult began to worship him. He holds palm and laurel branches, symbols of Christian martyrs. Getty Museum. Los Angeles, CA
The tomb of King Umberto I of Italy (1844-1900) inside the ancient pagan Pantheon, which was made into a church by the Byzantines and had hosted notable burials since the Renaissance. Umberto I initiated imperial expansion and fought domestic anarchism, culminating in his assassination. Rome, Italy.
Ossuary (bone box) in the family tomb of Nicanor, a Jewish door-maker. The Talmud claims he ended a storm by casting a door into the sea; it then washed up at his destination. Because of this miracle, his bronze gate on the Temple Mount was retained when others were gilded. 1st century CE, Jerusalem
“Tivoli's my home, Flavius Agricola my name. Friends who read this, follow my advice. Mix your wine, drink well, adorned with flowers, and don’t fail to please beautiful women. When death comes, earth and fire devour all.” Found under Vatican City. Indianapolis Museum of Art, 138-192 CE. [2332x1066]
Roman mosaic portraits depicting the owner of a luxurious rustic estate and his children, circa mid-2nd century CE. Excavated from the Villa Armira, a 22-room home likely owned by an Italian marble trader who moved to the province to exploit its quarries. National Historical Museum. Sofia, Bulgaria.
Roman fresco retelling the 59 CE amphitheater riots between citizens of Pompeii and neighboring Nuceria, when mockery during a gladiatorial match escalated quickly. The city was barred from holding arena games for a decade, and the show's sponsor was exiled. Naples Archaeological Museum, Italy. [OC]
Plaque for the funerary niche of a Roman child on a retaining wall near Pompeii, 50-79 CE. “To the memory of Numerius Velasius Gratus, who lived twelve years.” The urn was buried below. Libations reached it through an exposed clay tube. A portrait-fresco decorated the vault's interior. [2866 × 2448]
The mosaic-lined Mausoleum of Galla Placidia. The sarcophagus of Roman Emperor Valentinian III, Christ as Good Shepherd, and geometric borders are detailed. The vaulting, with reflective gold tesserae, represents both fine silk and starry heavens, imparting God's plentitude. c.450 CE, Ravenna, Italy
The 6th century BCE Pyrgi tablets, written in Phoenician and Etruscan, dedicated a Tuscan sanctuary to the Phoenician goddess of love/war, Astarte. This aided an alliance against Greek naval domination. Punic sailors likely fought a local coup, giving the king dictatorial powers to foster dependency
Funerary bust of Simon of Trent, a 2-year-old Italian boy who was found murdered in 1475. 15 local Jews were blamed and burnt alive. His corpse was said to perform miracles, so a cult began to worship him. He holds palm and laurel branches, symbols of Christian martyrs. Getty Museum. Los Angeles, CA
Roman bronze dodecahedron, with 12 flat pentagon faces and knobs on corners. Hundreds of examples exist across the empire, but their use is unclear, with theories including dice, decor, candleholders, measurement tools, and soil assessors. 150-400 CE, Gallo-Roman Museum. Tongeren, Belgium[1426×1492]
Funerary bust of Simon of Trent, a 2-year-old Italian boy who was found murdered in 1475. 15 local Jews were blamed and burnt alive. His corpse was said to perform miracles, so a cult began to worship him. He holds palm and laurel branches, symbols of Christian martyrs. Getty Museum. Los Angeles, CA
While the scene of Leda and the Swan (Zeus) is central to this sarcophagus fragment, it certainly belonged to a Jewish person, entombed in the Beit She'arim Necropolis near Haifa, Israel around 300 CE. Pagan mythology may have been disassociated from religion as artistic content for cultured elites.