Pyramid of Cestius: A unique building in ancient Rome

Referring to pyramids, people often think of ancient Egypt, however, these four-sided structures with tapered tops are also found around the world, belonging to many different cultures.

The Romans also built pyramids and one of the most prominent works is located in Rome (Italy).

Magnificent Tomb

The Pyramid of Cestius in Rome was built for Gaius Cestius Epulo, a politician, praetor and monk who wished to be buried in an Egyptian-style tomb. And he got it.

Today, the pyramid of Cestius is a tourist attraction.

This work was built around 18 - 12 BC and completed in 330 days, also according to Cestius's wishes. It is about 37m high, about 30m square on each side, built of brick and cement, the surface is covered with granite.

The pyramid of Cestius is located in a spacious countryside because at that time there were laws restricting spending, prohibiting ostentatious, expressing wealth through clothing, offerings, funerals and tombs. Because Cestius's tomb was too grand, it was removed from the city walls.

During the imperial period, Rome flourished, and by the 3rd century AD, magnificent buildings sprang up around the pyramid.

It was originally located in an area surrounded by low walls, flanked by statues, columns, and other tombs. Some of these relics were found during excavations in the 1660s.

Inside the pyramid is the crypt - a rectangular cavity with a rounded arch, 6m long, 4m wide and 5m high. The walls are decorated with frescoes of fairies and a winged statue of the Victor with a crown and ribbons in his hands.

The tomb was sealed when construction was completed, but was probably looted in the Middle Ages, through a tunnel dug to the north, resulting in the loss of the urn and valuable decorations. tell.

The pyramid of Cestius with its pointed top is not like the Egyptian pyramid pattern.

The pyramid of Cestius built during the Roman period is heavily influenced by all things Egyptian. Circus Maximus was decorated by the emperor Augustus with an Egyptian monument, while pyramids were also built in many places in the Roman Empire around this time.

Meta Romuli is one of several pyramids that stood on the banks of the Tiber River for 1,500 years, before being destroyed in the 16th century.

However, contrary to popular belief, the design of the pyramids in Rome is not based on the Egyptian pyramid pattern but resembles the pyramids of Nubia, especially of the kingdom of Meroë, which was destroyed. Rome attacked in 23 BC. It is possible that Cestius served in a military campaign against the Nubian kingdom and was inspired by the pyramids he saw there.

Revived after many centuries

During the construction of the Aurelian Wall between 271 and 275 AD, the pyramid of Cestius combined with fortifications to form a triangular fortress. The use of pyramids in this way reduces the cost and time of building new walls. This has likely kept it alive over the centuries.

By the Middle Ages, the origin of the pyramid had been forgotten. Francesco Petrarca, an Italian poet of the 14th century, recorded that the inhabitants of Rome believed it to be the tomb of Remus (Meta Remi) and that a copy of it near the Vatican was the tomb of Romulus.

The true origin of Cestius was only made clear after excavations in the 1660s. When clearing the overgrown trees around the pyramid, inscriptions were discovered on its surface.

The inscription on the southeast side reads: "Gaius Cestius Epulo, son of Lucius, of the district of Poblilian. According to his will, this work was completed in three hundred and thirty days, it was done by heirs - L. Pontus Mela, son of Publius, of the Claudian district, and Pothus, his freed slave".

The pyramid of Cestius combined with the Aurelian Wall was painted in the 18th century by Italian architect Giuseppe Vasi.

The archaeological team also dug a tunnel into the tomb and found the bases of two bronze statues standing along the pyramid.

The pyramid was a tourist attraction in the 18th and 19th centuries. Percy Bysshe Shelley, the English poet and philosopher, described Cestius as "a sublime pyramid" and the poet Thomas Hardy when saw this work in 1887 composed a poem in praise of it.

Today, the pyramid can only be accessed with special permission, as the structures are being preserved. However, the pyramid's appearance can be fully admired from within the Aurelian Wall in the Northwest. Surrounded by a protective balustrade, the pyramid of Cestius continues to provide an impressive, awe-inspiring touch of the ancient Roman landscape.