Pyramid of Cestius
The Pyramid of Cestius, more precisely, " Pyramid of Caius Cestius " (Italian: Piramide di Caio Cestio Cestia or Piramide ), in Rome, is the pyramidal tomb of the Roman praetor and tribune Caius Cestius Epulo.
Location
Burials within the city were forbidden until the 5th century. Tombs were therefore usually built on the arterial roads. The Pyramid of Cestius is in a prominent position on the Via Ostiensis, one of the busiest streets of Rome, which led to the port of Ostia.
From 271, the pyramid was incorporated into the city walls Emperor Aurelian ( the Aurelian Walls ). Beside her, the Porta Porta San Paolo Ostiensis opened today.
Builder
Little is known about the life of Cestius, but his pyramid has made him immortal. He was praetor of the year 43 BC, and a member of the Septemviri epulonum, one of the four colleges of priests.
Building
After the conquest of Egypt by the Emperor Augustus Egyptian culture in Rome fashion. This also included pyramids, and several Romans could build small pyramids as tombs. Today, from this brief episode of Roman culture, only the Pyramid of Cestius left. The building was built 18-12 BC
He was executed as a brick building and clad with travertine and marble slabs.
The pyramid is 36.4 meters ( a quarter of the height of the Great Pyramid of Cheops ) and has a side length of 29.5 m. Inside there is a large 4.10 to 5.95 m and 4.80 m high grave chamber ( only with special tours available ) with remains of frescoes. These frescoes are executed in the third style. They are the earliest datable Roman wall paintings in this style and thus form an important chronological focal point for the creation of this mural style.
The tomb bears the following inscriptions: On the west and east respectively above:
To the east, in addition a smaller inscription:
On the west and east sides of each below:
Before the pyramid stood four columns, two of which have been re-erected. You probably wore bronze statues of Cestius.
More pyramids
In the Middle Ages, the Pyramid of Cestius as a meta Remi, Remus grave of another pyramid near the Castel Sant'Angelo was called, analogous to meta Romuli, grave of Romulus. This tomb was founded in 1499 by Pope Alexander VI. removed in order to widen the access road to the Vatican for the Holy Year 1500. The marble of this pyramid was built in the Vatican Basilica.
Two other pyramids were in the area of present-day Piazza del Popolo.
After the Antique
1663, Pope Alexander VII restored the pyramid and released again, because over the centuries, the ground level was raised by a few meters. In this case, the two pillars and the bases of the two lost columns were recovered.
On the western side of the pyramid were buried later than 1732 non-Catholics. The burial field was in 1821 officially became the Cimitero acattolico, the so-called Protestant cemetery. Lying On his celebrity as the English writer John Keats and Percy Shelley, August von Goethe ( a son of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe ), Gottfried Semper, the architect of the Semper Opera House in Dresden, and Wilhelm Waiblingen, the biographer of Friedrich Hölderlin.
In the 19th century, the wall between the pyramid and the Porta San Paolo was demolished.
Others
1775 was built in the mountain park of Kassel Wilhelm a replica of the Pyramid of Cestius.
Count Platen wrote the poem " The Pyramid of Cestius ".
The building in Rome was the near metro station " Piramide " her name.