Purchased with funds from the State of North Carolina
This marble relief was carved to fit into the front of a stone tomb that stood along a major road outside Rome. The Latin inscription, or writing carved into the stone, identifies the three figures as Sextus Maelius Stabilio, Vesinia Iucunda, and Sextus Maelius Faustus. Slavery was common in ancient Roman society. When an enslaved person was released from slavery through a process called manumission, they took on the family name of the person who had enslaved them. The father (Stabilio) and the son (Faustus) depicted on this monument have the name of their former enslaver, Sextus Maelius. The mother (Iucunda) has the name Vesinia from her former enslaver. The letter L in the inscription stands for libertus, meaning “freedman,” and liberta, meaning “freedwoman.” Freed individuals did not have all the privileges of citizenship, but they were still considered citizens and had the right to vote, trade, and obtain local religious leadership roles.
The symbols of marriage in this relief reflect the importance of family during the reign of Augustus (27 BCE to 14 CE). The handshake shared by the man and the woman identifies them as husband and wife. Stabilio wears a toga, a garment that could only be worn by Roman citizens. Iucunda wears a bridal veil and betrothal (engagement) ring and holds her left hand to her face. This traditional gesture of modesty represents her conventional Roman morals and citizenship. The younger man on the right is most likely the couple’s son, born to them while they were enslaved. Any children born to the married couple after they were freed would have received full rights as a Roman citizen.
Reliefs like this one were often commissioned by recently freed enslaved people and their families. The reliefs may have served as a way for freed individuals to present themselves with the social identity and family relationships that were denied to them during slavery.
tags: symbolism, ancient Rome
Resources for Teachers:
Resources for Students:
