3-037-140 - Heritage Art/Heritage Images

Tomb Altar for Caltilius and Caltilia, A.D. 100-125. Additional Info: Portraits of a husband and wife decorate the front of this Roman funerary altar. The inscription reads, "To the souls of the deceased, Lucius Caltilius Stephanus and Caltilia Moschis." Although badly damaged, the portrait of Lucius depicts his distinctive, short hairstyle and his hollow cheeks and sagging flesh to show his age. These stylistic characteristics date this altar to the Trajanic period, from A.D. 100 to 125. The woman's dramatic curled hairstyle also derives from that favored by the women in Trajan's royal court.