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Cremation Among Greeks And Romans

Cremation Among Greeks And Romans image
Parent Issue
Day
3
Month
October
Year
1894
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

The third method of disposing oí the Uead is by buming- oremation, as it is now called. Many nations have praefciced burning, the best instances being the Greeks and the Ronians. Among the Greeks both methods were employed- burning and burying ; but gradually burning carne to be the popular mode, the reason being that fire ivas supposed to purlfy the celestial part of man by separating it from the defilements of the body, and thus enabling it to wlng its flight to realms. More than the Greeks the Romans were devoted to the procesa oí cie.mation, although in early ages they buried their dead. Cremattou became general at the end of the republic, i. e., shortly before the bii-tli of Christ. U nder the ennperors it was almost universal, but it gradúa ly disappeared as Chri,stianity gained sway. The Roman burial rites were very rigorous and volumanous. The ceremonial of a modern funeral is as nothing compared with the Roman ceremonial. Thed-e weie the musicians, the players, the imitator (who peisonated the dead), the images of the deceased, the train of slaves and freedmen, the relatives tearing tlieir garments and eovering themselves wtth dust, the funeral oration, and the final obsequies at the pyre. Tli is pyre was built in the form of an aliar of four Kides. Oji it vas placed the corpse apon a couch. The eyes of the deceased were opened, the iifiir relatlves kissed the body ■vith tears ; and tlien, turnLng away their faces, they applied the torch, whiik" upon tlie burning mass were cast perfumes oí tnyrrh and cas&ia, the clothee and ornnincnts of the dead, and offerings of various kinds. At an officer's funeral the soldiera made a circuit three times around the pyre, the ensigns reversed, the trumpets l)rayi.iit;', and the weapons cliisliing. If he had been very popular, the Koldiers cast their weapons upon the burning maas as loving ofterings to their dead comraander. Tlie ashcs were tlien gathered and put into an urn. Thus preserved, they were deposiited in one of those tombs whiii still iidorn the stntc'y roads of Rome. Often lamps were kept perpetually burning in tlie tomb, while flowors and fhapleta were brought thlther, that the dead initthl be remi.nd(Ml of the loving memory oí

Article

Subjects
Old News
Ann Arbor Courier