A wealth of tombs which formed the town's necropolis have been unearthed along a 250-metre stretch of the road running along the town walls just outside the Porta Nocera gate.
A monumental Exedra-shaped tomb is dedicated to Eumachia, the priestess of the cult of Venus and to whom a building in the Forum is dedicated. Further on is the Tomb of the Flavius family: eight of its niches are situated over the door and some of the six niches on either side are decorated with tuff-stone busts and inscriptions.
Some of the most interesting of these are high-podium tombs such as the one of Publius Vesonius Phileros or the four-niched tomb of Marcus Octavius, one of the veterans that settled in the town after it had been conquered by Silla. The former is of particular interest because of its length inscription in the middle of the podium.
Complaining of having been unjustly accused by a friend, Vesonius addresses passers-by with the words: "If it is not too much of an inconvenience, stop here for a moment and learn about the dangers you should be wary of. The man whose name is mentioned below and who - so I thought - was my friend brought false charges against me. Through the intervention of the gods and thanks to my innocence I was acquitted of every charge in court. My hope is that the person who has slandered me will be rejected by the gods of the household and those of the afterworld".
A wealth of tombs which formed the town's necropolis have been unearthed along a 250-metre stretch of the road running along the town walls just outside the Porta Nocera gate.
A monumental Exedra-shaped tomb is dedicated to Eumachia, the priestess of the cult of Venus and to whom a building in the Forum is dedicated. Further on is the Tomb of the Flavius family: eight of its niches are situated over the door and some of the six niches on either side are decorated with tuff-stone busts and inscriptions.
Some of the most interesting of these are high-podium tombs such as the one of Publius Vesonius Phileros or the four-niched tomb of Marcus Octavius, one of the veterans that settled in the town after it had been conquered by Silla. The former is of particular interest because of its length inscription in the middle of the podium.
Complaining of having been unjustly accused by a friend, Vesonius addresses passers-by with the words: "If it is not too much of an inconvenience, stop here for a moment and learn about the dangers you should be wary of. The man whose name is mentioned below and who - so I thought - was my friend brought false charges against me. Through the intervention of the gods and thanks to my innocence I was acquitted of every charge in court. My hope is that the person who has slandered me will be rejected by the gods of the household and those of the afterworld".
Gallery 9