Canal tomb C3Isola Sacra Menu

Inside tomb C we find the entrance of a much elder tomb, now known as Tomb C3. During the campaign of 1923 only the façade with the entrance was excavated. In front of tomb C3 was a small portico with two pilasters built of brick. The floor under the portico was paved with a black-and-white mosaic depicting a male figure with his right arm raised, preceded by a lion and two horses. The ceiling has disappeared. The entrance of tomb C3 includes two brick semicolumns at the corners, and faces the entrance wall of tomb C. The door has a travertine architrave and door jambs. The inscription above the door is lost. Tomb C3 had to be entered by two steps.

 

Between the portico and the entrance wall of tomb C3 stands a brick wall with two arcosolia. The upper one had a stucco front imitating the front of a marble sarcophagus with a hunting scene: a lion biting a deer and two horsemen fighting a lion and a panther. The cover of this 'sarcophagus' had a scene with cupids fighting wild animals.The 'sarcophagus', which had no inscription, has probably been brought over to the Ostian depots. The arcosolium below was painted, but was already during the excavations in a pitiable condition. The ceiling was painted with flowers, and the backside with two male figures, two birds and also flowers. This arcosolium was still closed; on the skeleton, covered with big tiles, no objects were found.

Considering the measurements mentioned in the inscription above the entrance of tomb C, we may regard tombs C and C3 as one unit, whereby C3 is the burial chamber and C the enclosure. The burial chamber (C3) was used for both inhumation and cremation. The back wall as well as both side walls have arcosolia on two levels and small niches for urns above. The entrance wall had only small niches for urns. Like the second arcosolium outside the entrance, the arcosolia on the second level inside the burial chamber were also equiped with imitation sarcophagi. Originally the second level consisted of one arcosolium flanked by two smaller niches. These were changed later into two arcosolia. During the same time of reuse a large podium was erected in front of the back wall, destroying a stucco panel. A small fragment, still visible during the excavation, showed that the panel was decorated with the same theme as the imitation sarcophagi.

 

Two of the panels of the 'sarcophagi' have been preserved. They are an example of the type of garland-sarcophagi which were produced on a large scale at that time, showing the practice to offer the products of the field to the deceased. Other themes used for decoration were Dionysian scenes with Silenus and bacchants: symbolic for salvation by the god and hoping for an eternal life. Mercury was also depicted four times as companion of the dead and protector of the grave.
The ceiling was painted with vivid colors.

 

 

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• Sources
• Russel Meigs - Roman Ostia, At the Clarendon Press 1973
• Guido Calza - Necropoli nell'Isola Sacra'(1940)
• Dr. Jan Theo Bakker.