Life and Death in Ancient Rome
Aug 20, 2025
Dr Dorian Borbononus, History Professor, UD
Life and Death in Ancient Rome
The impressive monuments of the ancient Roman Empire are world famous. Structures like the Colosseum or the Pantheon reflect the priorities of Roman emperors, but what about the other inhabitants of Rome? Much of the evidence for the lives of typical Romans ironically stems from the way that they were buried because funerary rituals and burial sites offer clues about the social aspirations and limitations that affected the lives of Romans from all walks of life. This lecture explores the connection between burial and society through a series of archaeological sites and objects which illustrate the Roman response to the universal human experience of bereavement.