Site Presentation- Caecilia Metella
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walkingancientrome_2019Who is Caecilia Metella?
She was the daughter of Quintus Caecilius Metellus. He greatly improved the prestige of the family because of his victory in conquering Crete. Her family was one of the most powerful families in Roman politics. There is limited information about Caecilia because she lived long ago, where there was hardly an documentation of anything. On her tomb there is a plaque that states this woman was the daughter of Quintus Metellus and wife of Licinius Crassus. Marcus Licinius Carassus was apart of another power family and had a connection with Julius Caesar.
Brief history:
After the tomb was out of the control of the Metella family, a church took over the tomb and land around it. Then came along the Caetani family, they were becoming a very powerful family in Rome and bought the land surrounding the tomb, then took ownership of the tomb. They added to the structure of the tomb, to make it into a castle. The castle was used as a defense tower and since the structure was along the Via Appia, they collected tolls. The tolls were collected for those passing the street.
Where and what is the tomb of Caecilia Metella?
Outside of Rome, along the Via Appia rises an imposing structure identified as the tomb of Caecilia Metalla. The tomb overlooks the city of Rome. The Via Appia was the first road projected and built by the Romans in 312 BC. The Romans have known the road as the Refina Viarum, the queen of streets, because of its importance.
When and why was the tomb constructed?
The tomb is an important archaeological monument that has been studied for centuries and various aspects. However, there is no archaeological documentation available that answers the truth why it was built and who built the tomb. It is noted that the tomb remained in good condition because family member kept it up. This missing information has caused problems surrounding the tomb. There are proposed dates of the tomb which ranges from 67BC to the end of the reign of Augustus. The reason comes about how the tomb is in a circular shape and that is the same way the structures were built for Augustus.
How is the site relevant to nearby sites?
Some other sites nearby the Tomb of Caecilia Metella are the Catacombs of Rome, Baths of Caracalla, and Palatine Hill.
The Catacombs of Rome are ancient underground burial places that began to take place around the second century. I compared the Catacombs to the tomb in how someone of nobility received a large tomb and other commoners received underground burials.
The Baths of Caracalla were the second largest Roman public baths and they took place during the reign of the Emperor Caracalla. The baths of Caracalla, in my presentation was compared in structure to the tomb. After the Caetani family took over the tomb, they added more sections to create a castle. The castle resembles the Baths of Caracalla.
Palatine Hill was another site that I compared and contrasted with the tomb. The hill is one of the most ancient parts of the Rome and has been called the "first nucleus of the Roman Empire." Excavations performed on the hill in 1907 and 1948 revealed a collection of huts believed to have been used for funerary purposes between the 9th and 7th century BC. (I go more into detail about these sites in my presentation).
Vocabulary used in presentation:
Sarcophagus: stone coffin
Sepulchral: gloomy, somber, melancholy
Works Cited:
Cipriani, G. (2014, March 07). Ancient Rome: No country for Women. The story of Cecilia Metella. Retrieved from http://talesofrome.com/ancient-rome-no-country-for-women-the-story-of-cecilia-metella/
Gerding, H. (2002). The tomb of Caecilia Metella: tumulus, tropaeum and thymele. Lund.
Tomb of Cecilia Metella - Useful Information - Rome & Vatican Museums. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.rome-museum.com/tomb-of-cecilia-metella.php
She was the daughter of Quintus Caecilius Metellus. He greatly improved the prestige of the family because of his victory in conquering Crete. Her family was one of the most powerful families in Roman politics. There is limited information about Caecilia because she lived long ago, where there was hardly an documentation of anything. On her tomb there is a plaque that states this woman was the daughter of Quintus Metellus and wife of Licinius Crassus. Marcus Licinius Carassus was apart of another power family and had a connection with Julius Caesar.
Brief history:
After the tomb was out of the control of the Metella family, a church took over the tomb and land around it. Then came along the Caetani family, they were becoming a very powerful family in Rome and bought the land surrounding the tomb, then took ownership of the tomb. They added to the structure of the tomb, to make it into a castle. The castle was used as a defense tower and since the structure was along the Via Appia, they collected tolls. The tolls were collected for those passing the street.
Where and what is the tomb of Caecilia Metella?
Outside of Rome, along the Via Appia rises an imposing structure identified as the tomb of Caecilia Metalla. The tomb overlooks the city of Rome. The Via Appia was the first road projected and built by the Romans in 312 BC. The Romans have known the road as the Refina Viarum, the queen of streets, because of its importance.
When and why was the tomb constructed?
The tomb is an important archaeological monument that has been studied for centuries and various aspects. However, there is no archaeological documentation available that answers the truth why it was built and who built the tomb. It is noted that the tomb remained in good condition because family member kept it up. This missing information has caused problems surrounding the tomb. There are proposed dates of the tomb which ranges from 67BC to the end of the reign of Augustus. The reason comes about how the tomb is in a circular shape and that is the same way the structures were built for Augustus.
How is the site relevant to nearby sites?
Some other sites nearby the Tomb of Caecilia Metella are the Catacombs of Rome, Baths of Caracalla, and Palatine Hill.
The Catacombs of Rome are ancient underground burial places that began to take place around the second century. I compared the Catacombs to the tomb in how someone of nobility received a large tomb and other commoners received underground burials.
The Baths of Caracalla were the second largest Roman public baths and they took place during the reign of the Emperor Caracalla. The baths of Caracalla, in my presentation was compared in structure to the tomb. After the Caetani family took over the tomb, they added more sections to create a castle. The castle resembles the Baths of Caracalla.
Palatine Hill was another site that I compared and contrasted with the tomb. The hill is one of the most ancient parts of the Rome and has been called the "first nucleus of the Roman Empire." Excavations performed on the hill in 1907 and 1948 revealed a collection of huts believed to have been used for funerary purposes between the 9th and 7th century BC. (I go more into detail about these sites in my presentation).
Vocabulary used in presentation:
Sarcophagus: stone coffin
Sepulchral: gloomy, somber, melancholy
Works Cited:
Cipriani, G. (2014, March 07). Ancient Rome: No country for Women. The story of Cecilia Metella. Retrieved from http://talesofrome.com/ancient-rome-no-country-for-women-the-story-of-cecilia-metella/
Gerding, H. (2002). The tomb of Caecilia Metella: tumulus, tropaeum and thymele. Lund.
Tomb of Cecilia Metella - Useful Information - Rome & Vatican Museums. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.rome-museum.com/tomb-of-cecilia-metella.php
