2,000-year-old tomb belonging to Roman military veteran found in Pompeii, photos show

A stately tomb with a detailed inscription was recently unearthed in Pompeii, Italy.

Dating back around 2,000 years, the grave belonged to a high-ranking military officer who served on the frontier of the Roman Empire.

Its discovery — which came as a surprise — occurred during the construction of a library in Pompeii, according to a July 16 news release from the Pompeii Archaeological Park.

The tomb contains a stone semicircular bench decorated at either end with lion’s feet sculptures. This type of funerary structure is well-known in Pompeii, officials said.

The site was dated to the reign of Caesar Augustus, whose rule — which transformed the Roman republic into an empire — spanned from 27 B.C. to 14 A.D.

A lengthy, well-preserved inscription on the bench provides key details about the deceased man, named Numerius Agrestinus, entombed at the site.

Translated into English, it reads:

“To Numerius Agrestinus, son of Numerius, Equitius Pulcher, military tribune, prefect of the Autrygoni, prefect of the military genius, Duumvir for the jurisdiction (i.e. holder of the highest magistracy in the city of Pompeii) twice, the place of burial (was ) given by decree of the city council.”

The word “Autrygoni” was used to describe a group of people who lived in the northern part of the Iberian Peninsula, which is part of modern-day Spain and Portugal.

Numerius served as a military ruler in the region, which was in the process of being conquered by the Romans between 29 and 19 B.C.

The inscription indicates he “literally” fought on the front lines to expand the empire, Gabriel Zuchtriegel, the director of the archaeological park, said in the release.

Later on, Numerius relocated to Pompeii, where he served at the highest levels of the city’s government before his death, at which point his tomb was erected by the city council.

The gravesite provides evidence for the emergence of a nexus of power that connected the elite members of Roman society, Zuchtriegel said.

These members would request to be sent to conflict regions — such as the Iberian Peninsula — with the expectation of reaping economic benefit and social prestige, he said.

Based on Numerius’s elaborate tomb, it appears he no doubt achieved widespread recognition and devotion.

He had also previously been known to scholars because his name was inscribed on his wife’s tomb in the city, which included a cylindrical monument, officials said.

Google Translate was used to translate a news release from the Pompeii Archaeological Park.

This story was originally published July 24, 2024 at 5:45 PM with the headline "2,000-year-old tomb belonging to Roman military veteran found in Pompeii, photos show."