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| Pyramid of Cestius |
Pyramid of Cestius
The Pyramid was build around 18BC - 12BC as a tomb for Gaius Cestius. Gaius Cestius was a magistrate and a member of one of the 4 great religious corporations (quattor amplissima collegia) in Rome, the Septemviri Epulonum.
It is a of brick-faced concrete covered with slabs of white marble foundation, 29.6 m square and 37 m high.
The interior is the burial chamber. When it was rediscovered in 1660, the chamber was found to be decorated with frescoes. Now, only the scantest traces of these now remain. There was no trace left of any other contents in the tomb, wich had been plundered in antiquity. The tomb had been sealed when it was build, without a exterior entrance. Visitors can not visit the interior, only when they have special permission.
The Pyramid has a few inscriptions:
- C · CESTIVS · L · F · POB · EPULO · PR · TR · PLVII · VIR · EPOLONVM
Gaius Cestius, son of Lucius, of the gens Pobilia, member of the College of Epulones, praetor, tribune of the plebs, septemvir of the Epulones.
- OPVS · APSOLVTVM · EX · TESTAMENTO · DIEBVS · CCCXXXARBITRATVPONTI · P · F · CLA · MELAE · HEREDIS · ET · POTHI · L
The work was completed, in accordance with the will, in 330 days, by the decision of the heir [Lucius] Pontus Mela, son of Publius of the Claudia, and Pothus, freedman.
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| Pyramid of Cestius on map |
