Pyramid of Caius Cestius
The Pyramid stands near the Porta San Paolo.
It is a spectacular burial tomb of 29.50m on each side and 36.40m.
high, entirely faced
with
slabs of marble. Its particular form is an expression the “Egyptian style” which
spread to Rome following its conquest of Egypt in 30 BC.
The name of Caius
Cestius is
recorded in
the inscription
placed on the
east side of
the monument: “Caius
Cestius, son
of Lucius,
of the Poblilia
tribe, praetor,
tribune of
the people,
septemvir of
the epuloni”.
An inscription
on the opposite
side reveals
that, in accordance
with the bequest
in his will,
fewer than
300 days were
devoted to
its construction.
But it was
not possible
to fulfil
another request
of the deceased:
a law against
luxury in
burial monuments,
approved
in 18 BC, prevented
the deposition
in the tomb
of the Pergamene
tapestries
that belonged
to the deceased.
With the
profits from their
sale there
were then
made two bronze
statues of
the dead
man. Of the statues
there survive
(in the Capitoline
Museums)
only the inscribed
bases on
which are mentioned
some of the
legatees.
Among these are
eminent people
in public life
such as Marcus
Agrippa, son-in-law
of the Emperor
Augustus,
whom we know to
have died
in 12 BC.
The
construction
of the
Pyramid
can therefore
be dated
between
18 and
12 BC.
The Caius
Cestius
buried
there is
perhaps
the praetor
with the
same name
to whom
is probably
owed the
construction
of the
Ponte Cestio,
between
the TiberIsland
and Trastevere.
He also
may be
the person
of the
same name
active
between
62 and
51 BC in
Asia Minor;
possession
of the
precious
tapestries
might in
fact point
in this
direction.
![](pyramid-door.jpg)
Access
to the
burial
chamber
was from
the west
side of
the Pyramid.
Vivid witness
accounts
of its
rich pictorial
decoration
are found
in descriptions
made at
the time
of its
re-discovery
during
the restoration
sponsored
in 1656
by Pope
Alexander
VII. A
high wainscot
and delicate
candelabra
framed
monochrome
panels
in which
there were
female
figures
either
standing
or seated;
in the
angles
of the
ceiling,
winged
Victories
with crowns
perhaps
alluded
to the
apotheosis
of Caius
Cestius.
This is
one of
the first
examples
in Rome
of the third
style of
painting.
In
the third century
AD the burial
tomb was incorporated
in the Aurelian
Walls and became,
like the neighbouring
Porta Ostiense,
an integral
part of the
defensive system
of the city.
Septemvir
of the epuloni:
priest of
the college
responsible
for organizing
banquets
for the gods
Tribune
of the people:
magistrate
who oversaw
the interests
of the Roman
people
Praetor:
originally,
a chief of
the army, then
from the 4th century
BC a civil
magistrate
with responsibility
for the administration
of justice.
Other
Monuments Nearby
Aurelian
Walls
Porta
San Paolo
Monte
Testaccio