Columbarium of Pomponius Hylas
Encyclopedia
The Columbarium of Pomponius Hylas is a 1st century AD Roman columbarium
, situated near the Porta Latina
on the Via Appia, Rome
, Italy. It was discovered and excavated in 1831 by Pietro Campana.
Though its name derives from Pomponius Hylas, who lived in the Flavian period (69-96 AD), the building itself has been dated to between 14 and 54 AD due to inscriptions on two of its niches (one dedicated to a freedman
of Tiberius
and the other to a freedman of Claudia Octavia
, daughter of Claudius and Messalina). It was later bought by Pomponius Hylas for himself and his wife, and he added the mosaic panel over the entrance steps, which is decorated with griffin
s and reads:
The inscription also has a V (meaning vivit) over Pomponia's name, showing she was alive when the panel was added.
Columbarium
A columbarium is a place for the respectful and usually public storage of cinerary urns . The term comes from the Latin columba and originally referred to compartmentalized housing for doves and pigeons .The Columbarium of Pomponius Hylas is a particularly fine ancient Roman example, rich in...
, situated near the Porta Latina
Porta Latina
The Porta Latina is a single-arched gate in the Aurelian Walls of ancient Rome. It marked the Rome end of the Via Latina and gives its name to the church of San Giovanni a Porta Latina...
on the Via Appia, Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, Italy. It was discovered and excavated in 1831 by Pietro Campana.
Though its name derives from Pomponius Hylas, who lived in the Flavian period (69-96 AD), the building itself has been dated to between 14 and 54 AD due to inscriptions on two of its niches (one dedicated to a freedman
Freedman
A freedman is a former slave who has been released from slavery, usually by legal means. Historically, slaves became freedmen either by manumission or emancipation ....
of Tiberius
Tiberius
Tiberius , was Roman Emperor from 14 AD to 37 AD. Tiberius was by birth a Claudian, son of Tiberius Claudius Nero and Livia Drusilla. His mother divorced Nero and married Augustus in 39 BC, making him a step-son of Octavian...
and the other to a freedman of Claudia Octavia
Claudia Octavia
Claudia Octavia was an Empress of Rome. She was a great-niece of the Emperor Tiberius, paternal first cousin of the Emperor Caligula, daughter of the Emperor Claudius, and stepsister and first wife of the Emperor Nero...
, daughter of Claudius and Messalina). It was later bought by Pomponius Hylas for himself and his wife, and he added the mosaic panel over the entrance steps, which is decorated with griffin
Griffin
The griffin, griffon, or gryphon is a legendary creature with the body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle...
s and reads:
The inscription also has a V (meaning vivit) over Pomponia's name, showing she was alive when the panel was added.
Further reading
- Nash, Ernest. Pictorial Dictionary of Ancient Rome. London: A. Zwemmer, 1962.
Sources
- http://www.nerone.cc/nerone/archivio/arch80.htm
- Eugene Strong, Apotheosis and After Life: Three Lectures on Certain Phases of Art, 1969
- JSTOR: Proposta per una Classificazione del Terzo Stile Pompeiano