A cordial greeting to all my friends of STEEMIT, and today I bring you a little knowledge about death, in the Roman Empire, how they saw death and how they conceived that event between them as a society.
The Romans had several ideas of what awaited them after death. Of the Greeks they took the beliefs that the spirit of the deceased crossed in a boat of oars a mythical river until a dark underworld; that's why they put a coin in the mouth of the dead to pay the boatman. Another belief is that the deceased remained in their graves or in the surroundings, where they could receive offerings. In any case, they considered having a proper funeral and a tomb designated in some way so as not to fall into oblivion.
Those who could not afford an individual burial could join a funeral association and pay to have a niche in a collective called columbarium (loft). The partners celebrated annual parties to meet those who were to be their companions for all eternity. In each niche was placed an urn with the ashes of the deceased.
In the first times in the western half of the empire the dead were incinerated, while in the eastern they were buried. The practice of burial (current homs), the rich were buried with gold masks like this.
The tombs were outside the city, bordering the road or main road, so that the spirits were far enough away so as not to disturb the living. It was an ideal place for families to show their wealth and prestige with an impressive sepulcher.
Roman cemeteries had altars for offenses to the deceased. It was believed that these formed a group of divinities or spirits called di men, and they were honored in three feasts: Feralila and Parentalia, when visiting the tombs, and Lemuria, in which offerings were made to the wandering specters of those who did not. They had had an adequate funeral.
On special occasions, such as the day dedicated to the dead or the anniversary of the deceased, families visited the tombs and shared a meal with their deceased.
