![]() ![]() While these laws can be traced back to the mid-5th century BC, they were much more strictly passed and enforced around the time of Cestius’ death. It is also important to note that its construction was regulated by sumptuary laws, which limit extreme displays of wealth such as in feasts, clothing, funerals, and tombs. ![]() The tomb was completed in 330 days and was one of two pyramid shaped tombs in the city of Rome. The inscription on it mentions that Cestius was a praetor, a tribune of the plebs, and a septemvir of the Epulones. The pyramid was built for Gaius Cestius Epulo, the son of Lucius, of the tribe of Pobilia. History Pyramid of Cestius by Giovanni Battista Piranesi (18th century) Cestius had stated in his will that the cloths were to be deposited in the tomb, but this practice had been forbidden by a recent edict passed by the aediles. The heirs had set up the statues and bases using money raised from the sale of valuable cloths ( attalici). This identifies Cestius' heirs as Marcus Valerius Messala Corvinus, a famous general Publius Rutilius Lupus, an orator whose father of the same name had been consul in 90 BC and Lucius Junius Silanus, a member of the distinguished gens Junia. The bases carried an inscription recorded by Bartoli in an engraving of 1697: Two marble bases were found next to the pyramid during excavations in the 1660s, complete with fragments of the bronze statues that originally had stood on their tops. It originally stood in a low-walled enclosure, flanked by statues, columns and other tombs. Rome grew enormously during the imperial period, and, by the 3rd century AD, the pyramid would have been surrounded by buildings. ![]() Īt the time of its construction, the pyramid of Cestius would have stood in open countryside (tombs being forbidden within the city walls). MDCLXIII", it commemorates excavation and restoration work carried out in and around the tomb between 1660–62.The work was completed, in accordance with the will, in 330 days, by the decision of the heir Pontus Mela, son of Publius of the Claudia, and Pothus, freedman Īnother inscription on the east face is of modern origins, having been carved on the orders of Pope Alexander VII in 1663. Visitors must arrange their visit in advance.Ī dedicatory inscription is carved on both northwestern and southeastern faces, so as to be visible from both sides. Since the beginning of May 2015, the pyramid is open to the public every second and fourth Saturday each month. Until the end of restoration works in 2015, it was not possible for visitors to access the interior, except by special permission typically only granted to scholars. The tomb had been sealed when it was built, with no exterior entrance, but had been plundered at some time thereafter, probably during antiquity. Only scant traces of these frescoes survive, and no trace of any other contents. When opened in 1660, the chamber was found to be decorated with frescoes, which were recorded by Pietro Santo Bartoli. In the interior is the burial chamber, a simple barrel-vaulted rectangular cavity measuring 5.95 metres long, 4.10 m wide and 4.80 m high. The pyramid measures 100 Roman feet (29.6 m) square at the base and stands 125 Roman feet (37 m) high. ![]() It is of brick-faced concrete covered with slabs of white marble standing on a travertine foundation. The pyramid was built about 18–12 BC as a tomb for Gaius Cestius, a magistrate and member of one of the four great religious corporations in Rome, the Septemviri Epulonum. Physical attributes Detail of the pyramid Due to its incorporation into the city's fortifications, it is today one of the best-preserved ancient buildings in Rome. It stands at a fork between two ancient roads, the Via Ostiensis and another road that ran west to the Tiber along the approximate line of the modern Via Marmorata. It was built as a tomb for Gaius Cestius, a member of the Epulones religious corporation. The pyramid of Cestius (in Italian, Piramide di Caio Cestio or Piramide Cestia) is a Roman Era pyramid in Rome, Italy, near the Porta San Paolo and the Protestant Cemetery. ![]()
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