Susan Wood

Alcestis on Roman Sarcophagi

The sarcophagus of Caius Junius Euhodus and Metilia Acte belongs to a small group of Roman sarcophagi which depict the death of Alcestis. Unlike most other members of the group, however, the Euhodus sarcophagus also portrays Alcestiss return from death in a prominent position on the front of the box. This variation in the use of the mythological theme suggests that while in most cases the story of Alcestis was chosen because of its pathos, the theme of possible triumph over death may also have appealed to some of the clients who commissioned the sarcophagi. The inscription of the Euhodus sarcophagus confirms that the couple for whom it was made subscribed to the cult of the Magna Mater, a cult which evidently did believe in the possibility of life after death. The language of symbolism on this monument, however, seems to be derived not from mystery rites but from familiar scenes of everyday life. The scene in which Alcestis is restored to her husband by Heracles bears a strong resemblance to a conventional wedding scene. Such a visual reference would underscore the theme of reunion implicit in the story of Alcestis and Admetus. Euhodus and Metilia, whose portrait faces appear on the mythological figures, expected to be united in death at least in a physical sense, since their bodies were to be interred in the same sarcophagus. In view of their religious beliefs, they may have hoped for a reunion in a life after death as well. The degree to which religious symbolism was intentionally incorporated into the decoration of Roman sarcophagi, and the extent to which that symbolism referred to the hope for a life after death, have long been the subject of one of the liveliest controversies in the study of Roman art. In view of the diversity of religious beliefs and experiences in the society of imperial Rome, as well as the natural differences of faith or skepticism among human beings, the symbolic content of sculptured sarcophagi probably differed considerably depending on the beliefs of the clients who commissioned them and the ability of the craftsmen who executed them to manipulate visual imagery. The precise prevalence or rarity of eschatological symbolism could never be completely assessed unless the precise variations in religious and philosophic beliefs of the commissioners of sarcophagi could be known, clearly a nearly impossible goal. In a few instances, however, we are fortunate in knowing something of the religious beliefs of the individuals who commissioned sarcophagi, and this knowledge can help us to understand the visual imagery on their funerary monuments. Such a monument is the sarcophagus of C. Junius Euhodus and Metilia Acte1 (fig. i), a work of unremarkable artistic quality, but one which possesses both a highly informative inscription and an exceptionally rich, coherent iconography. The inscription on the lid of this sarcophagus reads:

Imperial Women: A Study in Public Images, 40 BC-AD 68

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