Marcus Venerius Secundio
Marcus Venerius Secundio was a
Discovery
Marcus' remains were found in early August 2021 in a spacious
Tomb and remains
The tomb consists of a cell of 1.6 x 2.4 metres within a larger enclosure; the facade of the enclosure has traces of murals showing green plants on a blue background. Marcus' skeletal remains, found in the cell, were in good condition. A small part of the scalp had been mummified, with white hair and the left ear still clearly visible. Why part of him was mummified, and whether this is the result of intentional treatment, are questions which require further research.[2] The survival of Marcus' remains is remarkable, since it was the usual practice for Romans to cremate their dead.[2] The enclosure also contained two cremation urns, one belonging to a woman named Novia Amabilis, and various grave goods.[2]
Commemorative plaque
On the pediment of the tomb a marble commemorative plaque was mounted, which briefly describes Marcus and his activities.[4][5]
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Hypothesis
The archaeological team of the University of Valencia hypothesize that Marcus was born in Greece. This might explain why he produced theatrical performances in Greek, and might also explain why his remains were not cremated. The Greeks believed that life after death was only possible if the body had been buried.[3]
Links
- Pompeii - The tomb of Marcus Venerius Secundio discovered at Porta Sarno with mummified human remains - The discovery of Marcus' tomb.[2]
- YouTube - Pompeii Sites - Director of the Archaeological Park Pompeii, Gabriel Zuchtriegel, describes the tomb (In Italian; English subtitles are available)[5]
References
- ^ a b "Pompei: una tomba testimonia la presenza del mondo greco". RaiNews (in Italian). 2021-08-17. Retrieved 2021-08-21.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Pompeii - The tomb of Marcus Venerius Secundio discovered at Porta Sarno with mummified human remains". pompeiisites.org. 2021-08-17. Retrieved 2021-08-21.
- ^ a b Ezquiaga Fernández, Miguel (2021-08-17). "Marcus Venerius, el nuevo mecenas que emerge de entre las ruinas de Pompeya". El País (in Spanish). Retrieved 2021-08-21.
- ^ "Pompei, nuova straordinaria scoperta: rinvenuti resti umani mummificati di un individuo". NapoliToday (in Italian). 2021-08-17. Retrieved 2021-08-21.
- ^ a b "The tomb of Marcus Venerius Secundio discovered at Porta Sarno with mummified human remains". Youtube (in Italian). 2021-08-18. Interview with Gabriel Zuchtriegel, Director General of the Archaeological Park of Pompeii.
- ^ u/Discipulus-64 (2021-08-18). "A new Latin inscription found in Pompeii, belonging to a tomb". Reddit - r/latin - Inscriptions & Epigraphy. Retrieved 2021-08-21.
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: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ u/lutetiensis (2021-08-18). "New inscription discovered in Pompeii". Reddit - r/latin - Inscriptions & Epigraphy. Retrieved 2021-08-21.