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THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECTS JOURNAL. 



417 



BRITISH MUSEUM.— FUNEREAL MEMORIALS OF ROME. 

 fFrom the Times.) 



There are, perhaps, few rooms in the British >Iuseum whose contents 

 deserve or attract more inquiry and observation among the generality of its 

 visitors than the one appropriated to the funereal memorials of the Romans, 

 and of which less account is given in tlie meagre synopsis of the institution ; 

 the other remains of Grecian or Egyptian antiquity wliich fill its halls, although 

 possibly placed with sufficient taste and judgment, yet having no connexion 

 ■with the scenery, if it may he so called, of the localities in wliich they are 

 contained necessarily lose much of the effect tliey are calculated to produce. 

 To the artist who contemplates the beauty and boldness of their designs, or 

 the excellence of their execution, and takes them as models for his study, this 

 is perhaps scarcely felt ; his taste may discern their value ; hke the lapiilary, 

 he is equally aware of the brilliancy of the gem when it first meets his view, 

 ■whether disguised by the crust that nature gave it, or set oft" with all the 

 splendid adjuncts which art or study can devise. Still, even the genius of the 

 artist may become cramped and clouded in its development from contemplat- 

 ing the master-pieces of antiquity isolated and unconnected from the archi- 

 tecture to which they appertain, and when, instead of viewing them as part 

 of a magnificent whole, he sees them but in a state of chaotic vagrancy and 

 isolated decay. In contemplating the minutiai of beauty displayed in the 

 dilapidated or even in the more perfect remains of antiquity, apart from tlie 

 designs of which they form but a portion, the imagination necessarily becomes 

 concentrated and confined by that which it contemplates, and however much 

 the taste of the observer maybe improved, and however excellent may be the 

 work he in consequence produces, yet in his productions that sense of unity 

 and grandeur of thought is often found ■wanting, which is the distinguishing 

 feature of ancient art. To this, perhaps, may be attributed those anomalies 

 of design whicli are to be seen in almost all the classic monumental sculpture 

 of our cathedrals, and also in most of the modern architectural elevations of 

 the Greek and Roman school. The different parts or sections of one or the 

 other will often be found perfect, but few tliere are that taken as a whole will 

 bear comparison witli the edifices or monuments of antiquity. We mention 

 this, because, in the chamber we are about to describe its architecture and 

 decorations, with the exception of the northern side, form a perfect repre- 

 sentation of a Roman columbarium, or place of family sepulture ; the urns 

 ■which are in the niches of the walls originally occupied similar positions ; the 

 sculptue of few of them possesses pretensions to excellence, and had they 

 been placed in a room among a generality of sculptures, they probably would 

 have caused no observation, or if any, contempt; yet in this chamber, fitted 

 up in resemblance of those in which tliey were found, tliey acquire conse- 

 quence, and well ■worthy are they of the observation they attract. It is the 

 only part of the Museum in which the sculptures are in connexion witli the 

 edifice, and which, from that connexion, give a true idea of the purposes for 

 which they were designed ; in the contemplation of them the spectator, with- 

 out much stretch of imagination, might almost fancy himself in a family se- 

 pulchre of ancient Rome, surrounded by the ashes of its members. 



This saloon is entered from a door in the nortliern side of the statue gallery ; 

 it is 16 feet in length liy 10 in breadth, and the height 10 feet ; the roof is 

 vaulted .ind divided into compartments ; the colour gray. On either side, 

 cut in the depth of the wall in lines one above the other, are niches, in which 

 are placed the funeral urns of a family, and on tlie pavement on the eastern 

 and western sides are some of greater magnitude, and also some smaller ones 

 placed on votive altars ; almost all of them are richly sculptured, and the 

 various designs have an allusion either to the mythological dreams of the an- 

 cients, or represent some domestic scene : none of tliem possess that cliarac- 

 ter of awful simplicity which distinguisli the la>t receptacles of our Gothic 

 ancestors. Beneath some of the niches are marble tablets, hearing inscrip- 

 tions, and where this is the case within the tliickness of the walls are enclosed 

 earthen jars, with covers, in which the ashes of the deceased were placed. 

 The floor is formed of Mosaic. 



The niche No. 35 contains a sarcophagus, on the front of which the mar- 

 riage of Cupid and Psyche is sctdptured. Of this Apuleius gives tlie follow- 

 ing description : — " The bridegroom in the centre is lying on a couch. Psyche 

 ' yrctmio suo comple.riis ;' Jupiter and Juno are in the centre liehind in a sit- 

 ting posture, and all the gods according to their rank are standing around ; a 

 bowl of nectar is passing from one to the other. Jupiter has a particular 

 cupbearer to himself to attend and fill. Bacchus waits on the others, while 

 Vulcan ccoks the supper ; the loaves are strewed with roses and other flowers, 

 and perfumes are scattered over all Ijy the graces : ■ Mime voce canora per- 

 sonabayit !' Ajjollo sings to the lyre, while Venus dances in time to soft music, 

 and the graces sing in chorus ; the pipe is Idowni Ijy a satyr, and Pan plays on 

 the reed. The whole of this is a representation of the rites by which Pysche 

 is conferred on Cupid." In this piece of sculjiture the principal figtn-es shown 

 are Cupid and Psyche, with their immediate attendants ; they are sitting on 

 a couch, in front of which is a small tripod table, on which is a fish ; around 

 are the attendants playing on musical instruments in honour of the bride, and 

 bearing to her wine, fruit, and presents : the companion of each of these at- 

 tendants is represented as a Cupid or a Pysche, for the ancients had many 

 Cupids and more than one Psyche. The ends of the sarcophagus are rounded, 

 the length of it is 4 feet 6 inches, tlie breadth IS inches, and the height 15 ; 

 it was brought from Rome. 



No. 33 is a sepulchral urn of an oblong form ; three fluted spiral columns 



and two pilasters divide the front into four compartments, in cacli of which 

 is a door ornamented on the top with pendant garlands of laurel ; tliere are 

 four tablets passing across the upper part, one of which has the fallowing in- 

 scription on it :— " 2 C. JIagio, F.. Pal. Heraclida; V. A. xviii. ;" tlie others 

 are blank. The lid resembles those found on the Etruscan tombs ; it is like 

 two lids joined together lengthways ; in the centre is an ornament of a rabbit 

 feeding on fruit from a basket, on each side of which ornament is a deer, 

 which a serpent and a dog are attacking in front and rear. Tlie doors are 

 supposed to be tlie portals of the abodes of departed spirits, thev are remark- 

 able as having their pediments of the shape generaUv chosen for the covers of 

 sepulchral monuments. At the end of the urn are two spears crossed, which 

 probably had some allusion to the youth to whom it is dedicated, who per- 

 haps took deliglit in the sports of the chase, and who appears to lie according 

 to the incription— C. Magius Ileraclidaj, of the Palatine tribe, tlie son of 

 Quintus ; it has a handsome pediment, in which are figures of dogs hunting. 



The niche which is marked 21 contains an exceedingly curious cineraiy um 

 of baked clay ; the has relief on tlie front rejiresents the hero Echetles fisht- 

 ing at the battle of .Marathon for the Greeks, his arms are a ploughsliare. 

 Upon the cover is a female figure asleep in a recumbent position ; beneath 

 her head is a jiillow. Pausanias gives the following account of the circum- 

 stances of tlie combatant who used so singular a weapon : — '• It happened in 

 this battle (as tliey say) that a man dressed and having the appearance of a 

 peasant, and armed with an agricultural weapon, should appear when the 

 barbarians ^^•ere prevailing, who when lie liad slain a number of them shotild 

 vanish ; no one knew him as an Athenian, but others said, according to the 

 oracle, that he was a native of Echetlreum." On the border of the urn there 

 is an inscription over the has relief, which is slightly cut, and has not been 

 painted. The whole of this urn is exceedingly well designed ; there is great 

 spirit shown in the attitude of the figure wlio has been forced down by the 

 strength of the rustic weapon tlie eftbrt it is making to rise is true to na- 

 ture ; the figure with the helmet has tlie arms of a Roman legionary, but the 

 shields of all the combatants are Grecian ; much vigour and spirit is displayed 

 in the niele'e of the combat. 



No. 13 is a sarchophagus, on which a family is represented mourning over 

 the body of the dead ; the corpse is that of a female lying on a couch, whicli 

 is surrounded liy the friends and relations of the deceased : they are exceed- 

 ingly well grouped, and the expressions of grief are well designed. Beneath 

 the couch are seen the sandals of the departed, as also a wreath which has 

 been used as an ornament to the hair : a dog, proiialily a favourite, is also in- 

 troduced, and appears as a mourner. On each side of the sarchophagus is a 

 griffin, resting on its hind legs ; the lid and plintli are modern. It formerly 

 stood in the Caprinaca palace at Rome, and has been several times engraved. 

 Montf.iucon mentions the sculptures of this monument, as illustrating the 

 Roman manner of lamenting the dead ; the two figures close to the couch 

 with their arms extended are alluded to in the passage of Lucan — " E.racte 

 ad sai-as fainnlarum brachia planetus," and represent a singular part of the 

 Roman ceremony, the " erclamatio," or calling aloud, on the name of the 

 just departed, intended either to arrest or call back the flight of the soul, or 

 to rouse the dormant spirit in case death should not actually have taken place, 

 that the person might not be exposed to neglect or placed upon the funeral 

 pile while any breath of life might still remain. It might be curious to in- 

 quire if the singular custom of the death wake, still so pertinaciously adhered 

 to by liie Irish peasantry, and to perform which dacently, as they call it, the 

 poorest will s.icrifice all they possess, and the non-performance of which is 

 looked upon as a sacrilege committed, derived its origin from the custom of 

 ancient, or the priestcraft of modern, Rome. Xt each end of the sculpture 

 the father and mother of the deceased are standing; an old man at the ex- 

 treme end holds one liand to liis eyes, in the other is a funeral cake. On 

 each side of the female are two children. Altogether there are ten figures in 

 the group. Tlie father is sitting on a stool and the mother in a curule-shaped 

 chair ; the Iiead of the father is wrapped in a veil. 



No. 34 is an Etruscan cinerary urn of baked clay. The has relief in front 

 represents the single combat of Eteecles and Polynices, who were both slain 

 in the combat ; the first from a wound in the groin, and the latter from a 

 stab in the breast. The female figures standing by the combatants are furies; 

 eacli hold a torch in one hand, while the other is extended over the antagonist 

 encouraging and inflaming the combat ; at each end, on a pilaster, is an 

 Etruscan inscription, which is written from the right to the left in red letters. 

 All the figures have been painted, and some of the colours yet remains. Upon 

 the cover of the monument is a female figure asleep. The action of tlie 

 whole group is excellent ; the warrior who is down has lost his helmet ; his 

 hair is curled in the Etruscan fashion. His opponent is more completely 

 armed, and the manner in which he forces the shield from his opponent, and 

 drops his own while he stabs him to the heart, is masterly designed. The 

 expressions on the countenance of each are difterent ; extreme anguish in that 

 of the fallen, and the exultation of victory in the other, are strongly defined; 

 the figure of one of the furies is sandalled, while the other is bare. The re- 

 presentation of the combat as here given exactly corresponds with the account 

 of it by the poet Statius, and it is not unlikely that he was indebted for it to 

 these figures. It is highly probable that this contest was by no means an 

 uncommon suliject among the ancient artists. Pausanias says that the re- 

 presentation of it made one of the subjects which ornamented the sarchophagus 

 iu which the tyrant Cypselas, of Corinth, was deposited : in that the same 

 author mentions that Polynices is represented as having fallen on his knee, 

 which is the exact attitude liere represented" — "£i' (Edipifilius Polynicem 



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