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Essay / Roman Sarcophagi: Mythological Representations in Evolution and...
Cumont argued for complex allegorical symbolism concerning the fate of the soul after death. On the other hand, Nock emphasized the importance of relating the myth to other areas of Roman art and their association with classicism and education. More generally, the use of the myth about Roman sarcophagi as allegory or decoration is part of a broader debate over whether it represents hopes and beliefs about life after death and equating the deceased with the myth or asserting messages about the life of the deceased before their death. death. More recently, Paul Zanker and Bjorn Ewald have broadened the debate by suggesting that myths can be read as consolation for the person who has lost a loved one. This article will be placed in the above debate by analyzing the sarcophagi of C. Junius Euhodus and his wife Metilia Acte, which represent the myth of Alcestis. I will focus on the way in which the sarcophagi underline the couple's victory over death; how the patron who commissioned the sarcophagi influenced what was depicted and everyday themes related to Roman customs such as