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Life Of The Dead By Marcus Cicero Essay

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Death And The Afterlife Achievement Standard 91397 Traditional Roman | Stoicism | Epicurean Traditional Roman “The life of the dead is placed in the memory of the living” Marcus Cicero (106 - 43 BC) The ancient Romans believed that the dead belonged to a collective body of gods or spirits, called manes (spirits of the dead). To the Romans it was essential to be given a proper funeral and a tomb, which would serve as a home for the spirit of the deceased. The Romans believed that if the soul was not laid to rest properly, it would become restless and will haunt its home due to its discomfort. The term “justa facere”, meaning “to do the right things”, commonly refers to the respect for the rites of the dead. Ancient Roman funerary practices are considered very systematic and it was regulated that every roman citizen had the right to a respectful funeral despite their social standing. Roman funerary practices included two different types of religious rituals, either burial or cremation, both of which were considered apart of ancient roman tradition. Roman cemeteries were located outside of the “Pomerium”, a sacred open space located inside the walls surrounding the Esquiline Hill, Palatine Hill, Capitoline Hill and Quirinal Hill in the early ancient city. As it was illegal to bury the deceased within the “Pomerium” within the city walls, The Appian Way, the oldest highway, is lined with numerous tombs of the most aristocratic families,

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