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Tomb of the Scipios

Location in ancient Rome of the tomb.

Entrance to the tomb. The wall lining the Via di Porta San Sebas-

tiano lies directly behind the cameraman, who is standing within

or on the inside of the gate at Number 6. Beyond the wall at 

the top right of the hill is the park road. The tomb fronted and 

opened in that direction and towered over the via Appia, nowseveral meters higher than it was then. The hill continues down

to the left, where more of the ruin is to be found.

The   Tomb of the Scipios   (Latin   sepulcrum Scipi-

onum[1]), also called the  hypogaeum Scipionum, was

the common tomb of the patrician Scipio family during

the Roman Republic for interments between the early 3rd

century BC and the early 1st century AD. Then it was

abandoned and its location was lost within a few hundred

years.

The tomb was rediscovered twice, the last time in 1780[2]

and stands under a hill by the side of the road behind awall at numbers 9 and 12 Via di Porta San Sebastiano,

Rome, where it can be visited by the public for a small

admission price. The location was privately owned on dis-

covery of the tomb but was bought by the city in 1880 at

the suggestion of Rodolfo Amedeo Lanciani.[3] A house

was subsequently built in a previous vineyard there. The

current main entrance to the tomb is an arched opening

in the side of the hill, not the original main entrance. Af-

ter discovery the few surviving remains were moved and

interred with honor elsewhere or unknowingly discarded.

The moveables—the one whole sarcophagus and the frag-

ments of other   sarcophagi—were placed on display in

the hall of the Pio-Clementino Museum at the Vaticanin 1912. The sepulchre is a rock-cut chambered tomb

on the interior, with the remains of a late façade on the

exterior.

During the republic the tomb stood in a cemetery for no-

tables and their families located in the angle between the

Via Appia and the Via Latina on a connecting road join-

ing the two just past the branch point. It was originally

outside the city not far from where the Via Appia passed

through the Servian Wall at the Porta Capena. In subse-

quent centuries new construction changed the landmarks

of the vicinity entirely. The wall was expanded to be-

come the Aurelian Wall through which the Porta Appiaadmitted the Via Appia. The cemetery was now inside

the city. The Appian gate today is called the Porta San

Sebastiano. Before it is the so-called  Arch of Drusus,

actually a section of aqueduct. The Via Appia at that lo-

cation was renamed to the Via di Porta San Sebastiano. It

passes through the Parco degli Scipioni where the ceme-

tery once was located. The via is open to traffic. Most of

it is lined by walls.

1 History

1.1 Period of use by the family

The tomb was founded around the turn of the 3rd cen-

tury BC, after the opening of the Via Appia in 312 BC,

probably by the then head of the family, Lucius Cornelius

Scipio Barbatus, consul in 298 BC. He was the earliest

known occupant after his death around 280 BC. His sar-

cophagus was the only one to survive intact - it is now

on show at the Vatican Museums, re-united with its orig-

inal inscription. According to Coarelli, the capacity of

30 burial places was reached, and the main body of the

complex was essentially complete, by the middle 2nd cen-tury BC,[4] but new burials continued at long intervals un-

til the 1st century AD. During that time the tomb was a

1

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2   1 HISTORY 

landmark in ancient Rome.

The tomb held the remains of one person outside the

Scipio family: the poet Ennius, of whom there was a

marble statue in the tomb according to Cicero.[5] None

of the more familiar Scipios (Africanus,   Asiaticus  and

Hispanicus) were buried here, but according to  Livy andSeneca were buried in their villa at Liternum.

The inscriptions on the sarcophagi also suggest that the

hypogeum was complete about 150 BC. At that time it

came to be supported by another quadrangular room,

with no passage to the hypogeum - in this were buried

a few others of the family. The creation of a solemn “ru-

pestre” facade also dates to that period. The decoration is

attributed to the initiative of Scipio Aemilianus, and is a

fundamental example of Hellenization of Roman culture

in the course of 2nd century BC. At that period the tomb

became a kind of family museum, that perpetuated and

publicised the deeds of its occupants.

The last well-known use of the tomb itself was in

the   Claudio-Neronian   period, when the daughter and

the grandchild of Gnaeus Cornelius Lentulus Gaetulicus

were buried here. These burials may be an attempt to

emphasize for ideological reasons his descent from the

Scipios; on the other hand, the latter speculation seems a

harsh view of a man who, on the presumption that he was

emotionally normal, must have been in grief at the death

of his child. Repairs on the tomb continued until the 4th

century. After then the mainly Christian Romans (who

did not have the same loyalties to the traditions of pagan

Rome) apparently stopped maintaining it and lost track

of it.

1.2 Rediscoveries and publications

Only the general direction of the tomb along the  Via Ap-

 pia   to the south was known from the written sources.

The question of whether it was inside or outside the city

caused some confusion, apparently without realization

that the city had expanded to include it.[7] The tomb was

rediscovered in 1614 in a vineyard, broken into (the term

“excavated” in the modern sense does not apply), two sar-

cophagi were found, the inscription (titulus ) of L. Cor-nelius, son of Barbatus, consul 259, was broken out and

was sold. It changed hands many times before rejoining

the collection; meanwhile, it was published by Giacomo

Sirmondo in 1617 in “Antiquae inscriptionis, qua L. Sci-

pionis Barbati, filii expressum est elogium, explanatio.”[3]

This use of elogium came to apply to the entire collection

(elogia Scipionum).

The owner of the property in 1614 did not alter or fur-

ther publicize the tomb. He must have resealed it, hid the

entrance and kept its location a secret, for whatever rea-

sons, as it disappeared from public knowledge and was

lost again, despite publication of the inscription. In 1780the then owners of the vineyard, the brothers Sassi, who

apparently had no idea it was there, broke into the tomb

Drawing based on Piranesi’s plan view, criticised by Lanciani [6]

as being too idealized.

again during remodelling of their wine cellar.[8] Theyopened it to the leading scholars of the day. Someone,

perhaps them, fragmented the slabs covering the  loculi ,

with the obvious intent of accessing the contents, being

careful to preserve the inscriptions. If the act is to be at-

tributed to the Sassi, and if the motive of treasure-hunting

is to be imputed to them, they found no treasure. What

they did find they turned over to the Vatican under Pope

Pius VI, including the gold signet ring taken off the finger

bone of Barbatus. Apparently some masonry was placed

in the tomb with an obscure intent.

The tomb was published in Rome in 1785 by  Francesco

Piranesi  in “Monumenti degli Scipioni.” Francesco wascompleting a previous incomplete work by his father,

Giovanni Battista Piranesi, who died. The accuracy of

the drawings in that work (actually, two works, by father

and son) leaves much to be desired. For example, the

corridor containing Barbatus’ coffin is shown complete,

when it has always ended in the rock ledge. [9]

The tomb was subsequently neglected again (but not lost)

until purchased by the city of Rome; in fact, there were

reports of a gypsy family living in it. The tomb was re-

stored in 1926 by the X Ripartizione of the Comune di

Roma. At that time, masonry put in in 1616 and 1780

was removed. At the present time it contains duplicatesof the material in the Vatican and is well cared for. Steel

pins or beams support sections in danger of collapsing.

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3

2 Art and architecture

Elevation view of the tomb façade of the 2nd half of the 2nd 

century BC, as reconstructed by Filippo Coarelli .[10]

Themonument is divided into two distinct parts: the main

complex, dug into a tufa ledge on a large square plan, and

a brick-built arcade from the later period, with a separate

entrance. The view expressed by Simon Bell Platner[11]

(among others) that the tomb was built over a tufa quarry

is purely conjectural. No evidence exists either for or

against.

The central room is divided by four large pilasters, re-

paired in the course of excavations to ensure the hy-

pogeum did not collapse, with 4 long arcades along the

sides and two central galleries that cross each other at

right angles, giving the appearance of a grid plan.

The façade faced north-east, but only a small part of its

right hand end survives, with few remains of wall paint-

ings. It was made up of a high podium bordered by se-

vere cornices, in which were three ashlar arches made of

Aniene tufa : one led to the entrance of the hypogeum

(central), one to the new room (right hand), while the

third (left hand) led nowhere. This base was entirely cov-

ered in frescoes, of which only small pieces remain, show-

ing three layers: the two oldest (from about the middle of

the 2nd century BC) show historical scenes (some soldier

figures can be recognised), while the last, the most re-

cent, has a red simple decoration with stylized waves (1st

century AD).

More spectacular was the upper part of the façade, with

a tripartite view, semicolumns and 3 niches into which

(according to   Livy) were placed the statues of   ScipioAfricanus, his brother   Scipio Asiaticus   and the poet

Ennius, author of a poem,  Scipio.[12]

On the left a large circular cavity has destroyed a corner

of the tomb, probably by the construction and use of a

lime kiln in the medieval period.

3 The so-called “Head of Ennius”

Two heads made of Aniene tufa from the tomb are now in

the Vatican Museums. Discovered in 1934, they were im-mediately stolen. The first head (24 cm high) has come

to be called Ennius, who had a whole statue on the hy-

The so-called “Head of Ennius” 

pogeum façade according to Livy, but this attribution isincorrect, since the sources state Ennius’s statue was in

marble not tufa. It is unclear where in the tomb the heads

were found, as they are probably portraits of another oc-

cupant of the tomb. The slightly inclined position of the

neck has caused some to believe the first head is part of

a larger statue, perhaps a reclining feasting figure from a

sarcophagus lid, a type common in southern Etruria from

the start of the 3rd century BC.

The head’s modelling is in essence but effective, with a

roundish face, swollen lips, wide nose and the large eye-

lids. The hair is indicated very vaguely and the head bears

a laurel wreath with small leaves and foliage. Scholarspropose dating it to the end of the 2nd century BC, when

the Etruscan style of Latium underwent its first Greek in-

fluences.

4 Sarcophagi and inscriptions

The 30 resting places approximately correspond to the

number of Scipiones who lived between the beginning

of the 3rd and the middle of 2nd century BC, accord-

ing to Coarelli.[4] There are two types of sarcophagi -“monolithic” (i.e.; carved from a single block of   tufa)

and “constructed.” The latter type, which is in the ma-

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4   6 REFERENCES 

jority, is an arched recess sunk into the wall in which the

deceased was placed, and the opening covered by an in-

scribed slab with the letters painted red. English writers

typically called these recesses “loculi”.[13] The recesses

stand where they were, but the slabs have been moved to

the Vatican. The monolithic sarcophagus of Barbatus was

at the end of a corridor, in line with what once may havebeen a window, now the main entrance. The other sar-

cophagi of both types were added later as further shafts

and rooms were sunk for the purpose.

The most important sarcophagi are those of Scipio Bar-

batus, now at the Vatican Museums, and that considered

to belong to Ennius, both of substantial bulk. They do not

entirely correspond with Etruscan sculpture, but show the

elements of originality in  Latin and particularly Roman

culture, and are comparable with other Roman tombs

(such as the Esquiline Necropolis) in other cities such as

Tusculum.

Floor plan of the tomb, based on a plan by Filippo Coarelli .[14] 1

is the old entrance fronting on the park road, 2 is a “calcinara”,

an intrusive mediaeval lime kiln, 3 is the arched entrance seen

in the photographs (street number 6), anciently overlooking the

Via Appia, 4 is the entrance to the new room (street number 12).

Letters from A to I were the sarcophagi or loculi with inscrip-

tions. The tomb is now empty except for facsimiles; the remains 

were discarded or reinterred, while the sarcophagi fragments ul-

timately went to the Vatican.

4.1 Sarcophagus of Scipio Barbatus (A)

Main article:   Sarcophagus of Lucius Cornelius Scipio

Barbatus § Epitaph on Sarcophagus

The name is incised on the lid (CIL VI 1284) and the

epitaph (CIL   VI 1285) on the front of the only intact

sarcophagus (some of the decorative detail has been re-

stored). The letters were originally painted red. A Doric-

style decorative panel is above the inscription featuringroses alternating with column-like triglyphs. The top of

the sarcophagus is modeled as a cushion.[15]

4.2 Sarcophagus of Lucius Cornelius Sci-

pio (B)

Main article: Lucius Cornelius Scipio (consul 259 BC) §

Epitaph

The name is on a lid fragment (CIL VI 1286) and the

epitaph on a slab fragment (CIL  VI 1287). The name

is painted in red letters. They hang on the wall of the

museum.[15]

4.3 Sarcophagus of Publius Cornelius Sci-

pio, Flamen Dialis (C)

Main article:   Publius Cornelius Scipio P.f. P.n.

Africanus § Epitaph

All that remains of the sarcophagus, now in the Vatican, is

two fragments of a stone plate containing the engraved in-

scription, considered one inscription, CIL VI 1288. The

break obscures a few letters easily and comprehensibly

restored.

4.4 Sarcophagus and inscription of Lucius

Cornelius Scipio, son of Asiaticus (D)

The inscription on the sarcophagus (CIL VI 1296) sur-

vives in the Vatican and identitifes the deceased as Lucius

Cornelius L.f. P.n. Scipio, probably the second genera-

tion of the Cornelii Scipiones Asiatici (Lucius Cornelius

Scipio Asiaticus II). See under Scipio Asiaticus.

5 See also

•  Old Latin

6 References

[1] Cicero, Marcus Tullius. “I.13”.  Tusculan Disputations .

[2] Ricci (2003) p.394.

[3] Lanciani (1897) p. 321.

[4] Wallace-Hadrill, Andrew (2009).  “Housing the Dead: the

tomb as house in Roman Italy”   (pdf). The University of

Chicago Divinity School, the Martin Marty Center for the

Advanced Study of Religion. pp. 11–12. Retrieved 14

June 2009.

[5] Cicero, Marcus Tullius. “IX”. For Aulus Licinius Archias,

the Poet . Our countryman, Ennius, was dear to the elderAfricanus; and even in the tomb of the Scipios his effigy

is believed to be visible, carved in the marble

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5

[6] Lanciani (1897) p.324.

[7] Parker, John Henry (1877).   The Archaeology of Rome.

Part IX: Tombs in and near Rome. Oxford, London:

James Parker and Co., John Murray. p. 4.

[8] Lanciani (1897) pp. 322-324.

[9] Lanciani (1897) p. 325.

[10] Richardson, Lawrence (1992).  A new topographical dic-

tionary of ancient Rome   (: 2nd, illustrated ed.). Balti-

more: by Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 360.  ISBN

0801843006, ISBN 978-0-8018-4300-6.

[11] Platner (1929), p. 485 (see under External links  below).

[12] Livius, Titus. “XXXVIII.56”.  History of Rome. "...in the

tomb of the Scipios there are three statues, two of which

(we are told) are the memorials of Publius and Lucius Sci-

pio, while the third represents the poet Quintus Ennius.

[13] Dennie, John (1904).  Rome of to-day and yesterday: the pagan city  (5 ed.). New York, London: G.P. Putnam. p.

109.

[14] Coarelli, Filippo (1988). Il Sepolcro degli Scipioni a Roma.

Itinerari d'arte e di cultura (in Italian). Rome: Fratelli

Palombri. p. 13. ISBN 8876213449.

[15] Ricci (2003) p. 395.

7 Bibliography

•  Lanciani, Rodolfo Amedeo (1897).  The Ruins and Excavations of Ancient Rome: A Companion Book 

 for Students and Travelers . Boston and New York:

Houghton, Mifflin and Company. pp. 321–327.

•   Ricci, Corrado (2003).  Vatican: Its History Its Trea-

sures  (illustrated ed.). Kessinger Publishing.   ISBN

0766139417, ISBN 978-0-7661-3941-1.

8 External links

•

  Samuel Bell Platner, ed. (1929).   “Sepulcrum Sci-pionum”.   A Topographical Dictionary of Ancient 

Rome (as completed and revised by Thomas Ashby

ed.). London: Oxford University Press. Retrieved

2009-02-21.

•   “Sepolcro degli Scipioni”.   Monumenti Antichi   (in

English, Italian). Commune di Roma, Assessorato

alle Politiche Culturali, Sovraintendenza del Co-

mune di Roma. 2009. Retrieved 12 June 2009.

•   “Translation of epitaphs from the Tombs of the Sci-

pios”.  attalus.org. 2012. Retrieved 18 August 2012.

Coordinates:   41°52′33″N 12°30′01″E / 41.87583°N

12.50028°E

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6   9 TEXT AND IMAGE SOURCES, CONTRIBUTORS, AND LICENSES 

9 Text and image sources, contributors, and licenses

9.1 Text

•   Tomb of the Scipios  Source:    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomb%20of%20the%20Scipios?oldid=624045995  Contributors:   Llywrch,Richard Arthur Norton (1958- ), FeanorStar7, Mandarax, BD2412, Rjwilmsi, Botteville, SmackBot, Hmains, Bazonka, Makyen, Ned-dyseagoon, Ning-ning, JaGa, R'n'B, Tomas e, Alexbot, Catalographer, Asmith44, Oskar71, WikHead, Addbot, Queenmomcat, Mephis-

ton999, Download, Chuck es dios, Luckas-bot, Yobot, Bunnyhop11, AnomieBOT, J04n, AstaBOTh15, RjwilmsiBot, EmausBot, HelpfulPixie Bot, Dexbot, Hmainsbot1 and Anonymous: 1

9.2 Images

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•   File:Piranesi-Scipionengrab-2.jpg   Source:    http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/23/Piranesi-Scipionengrab-2.jpg   Li-

cense:  Public domain  Contributors:  Reworked version of  File:Piranesi-Scipionengrab.jpg by Nyks (<a href='//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User_talk:Nyks' title='User talk:Nyks'>talk</a>) Original artist:  Giovanni Battista Piranesi

•   File:Roma_Plan_Sepulcrum_Scipionum.jpg Source:   http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/da/Roma_Plan_Sepulcrum_Scipionum.jpg License:  Public domain Contributors: 

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