Death culture is a fundamental aspect of human existence, with the primary purpose of commemorating and preserving the identity of the deceased. Epitaphs, a physical object created to mark the tomb, are seen in antiquity and modern cultures. Protection epitaphs, a subset of these epitaphs, are a subculture within ancient Rome that incorporate a request for protection. These epitaphs share a common thread of death culture: care and respect for the dead.
Rituals are cultural practices that follow a set protocol, with roles assigned to the practitioner and target, as well as an observer. In this study of protective death epitaphs, the family (typical practitioner) of the protective epitaph commemorates the deceased or potential target of malicious intent. The ritual is the protocol of placing a statement on a tombstone that asks not to defile the tomb.
The two main types of protection seen in protective death epitaphs are passive and aggressive. Passive protection gives a broad statement in both the request and the potential consequence, while aggressive protection typically gives a broad statement in the request and a more specific consequence.
In conclusion, protection epitaphs are a subset of Roman death culture that emphasizes the importance of care and respect for the dead. This research highlights the underrepresented and marginalized group of people commemorated in these epitaphs and the importance of studying and giving light to their practices and intentions. / Master of Arts / Death culture is a significant aspect of human existence, primarily aimed at commemorating and preserving the identity of the deceased. This paper examines a subculture within ancient Rome, specifically nineteen protective epitaphs, which all share a request for protection. These epitaphs are a subset of epitaphs that request extra space on grave markers to steer away potential harm, including the use of magic with malicious intent.
Rituals are cultural practices that follow a set protocol, with roles assigned to the practitioner and target, and sometimes an observer. The deceased or target is commemorated by the family, who performs the protective epitaph. In this study of protective death epitaphs, the two main types of protection seen are passive and aggressive. Passive protection provides a broad statement in both the request and the potential consequence, while aggressive protection typically gives a broad statement in the request and a more specific consequence.
The study of protection epitaphs reveals the common thread of death culture, which is to care and respect the dead. The families commemorated their deceased in these epitaphs, demonstrating the importance of respecting the dead and preserving their identity.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:VTETD/oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/119127 |
| Date | 24 May 2024 |
| Creators | Hunkele, Gabrielle Frances |
| Contributors | Material Culture and Public Humanities, Knoblauch, Ann-Marie, Becker, Andrew S., Phillips, Richard L. |
| Publisher | Virginia Tech |
| Source Sets | Virginia Tech Theses and Dissertation |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | ETD, application/pdf |
| Rights | In Copyright, http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ |
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