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Necropolis at the Nocera Gate, Pompeii

The necropolis of the city of Pompei is a kind of city of the dead. The name "necropolis" itself is translated in Greek. Here were buried the richest and most powerful residents of the city. In Pompeii, as in other ancient Roman cities, cemeteries were located at the gates of the city. So the mausoleums and tombs are located and the Nola Gate, Herculanium Gate, the Vesuvian Gate. However, the most chic Necropolis ("city of the dead" in Greek) is located at the Nocera Gate.

The necropolis behind the gate of Nocera gate consists of a series of tombs, along the road Via Nocera. In the necropolis there are several types of tombs: chamber tombs, cubic tombs, altar tombs, adicula graves. They are arranged in chronological order from the early Republican period at the gates until the last years of Pompeii farther afield. Unlike today's cemeteries, which are located at some distance from major roads, the Roman cemeteries were quite noisy with a lot of pedestrians and carts that drove past the city of the dead. As proof of the large traffic, there are more than 180 graffiti painted and scratched on the tombs at the Nucer Gate, from political slogans to advertisements about the games in the Pompeii Amphitheater. These texts give a rare look at life behind the walls and show that this cemetery was in itself a separate block, although it was cut off from the city itself by protective walls.

Among the many monuments, the tombs of L. Seius Serapia, the tomb of L. Celius, the mausoleum of Vei Barhilla, the tomb of Eumachia, the tomb of the Tillia family (family tomb) and the tomb of M. Octavius ​​and his wife Verthia Philumin are especially worth noting.

Historical Context

The Necropolis at the Nocera Gate developed over several centuries, with tombs dating from the Samnite period (4th–3rd century BCE) through the Roman era, culminating in 79 CE. Pompeii’s pre-Roman roots as a Samnite city shaped its early burial practices, influenced by Italic traditions, while Roman colonization after 80 BCE introduced Hellenistic and imperial elements, evident in tomb designs and inscriptions. Roman law mandated burials outside city walls to maintain urban purity, making the area beyond the Nocera Gate—a major entry point from Nuceria (modern Nocera Inferiore)—an ideal location for a necropolis. Its proximity to Via di Nocera, a busy road, ensured visibility, allowing tomb owners to advertise their status to travelers and locals alike.

The necropolis grew organically, with tombs reflecting the city’s evolving demographics. Early Samnite burials were simpler, but by the 1st century BCE, wealth from trade and Roman patronage funded elaborate monuments, especially for elite families and freedmen eager to assert their social mobility. The site’s use continued until the eruption, which buried it under layers of ash and lapilli, preserving structures but scattering remains. Excavations, notably by Amedeo Maiuri in the 1950s and the 2003–2015 international study, uncovered over 40 tombs and significant artifacts, though early looting and exposure damaged some features. The discovery of plaster casts in the 1960s added a poignant human dimension, capturing the final moments of those fleeing the eruption.

Layout and Architectural Features

The necropolis is organized linearly along Via delle Tombe, a paved road running parallel to Pompeii’s southeastern walls, with tombs clustered in groups reflecting family plots or social affiliations. Its layout balances accessibility and display, with monuments designed to impress passersby while accommodating funerary rituals. Key architectural elements include:

Tomb Types:
The necropolis features diverse tomb designs, showcasing Pompeii’s architectural eclecticism:
Chamber Tombs: Rectangular structures with internal niches for urns or sarcophagi, often used by families. Examples include the Flavius family tomb, with tuff-stone busts and inscriptions.
Cubic Tombs: Simple, box-like monuments for individuals or small groups, common among freedmen.
Altar Tombs: Raised platforms with decorative friezes, resembling altars, used for cremation burials.
Aedicula Tombs: Small, temple-like structures with pediments and columns, signaling wealth, as seen in Publius Vesonius Phileros’ tomb.
Exedra Tombs: Semicircular, bench-like monuments for communal gatherings, such as Eumachia’s grand tomb.
These variations reflect status, budget, and cultural influences, blending Samnite simplicity with Roman ostentation.

Spatial Organization:
Tombs are arranged along the road’s northern side, facing the city walls, maximizing visibility from the Nocera Gate and Via di Nocera. The southern side, closer to the walls, includes smaller burials and cippi (grave markers), possibly for lower-status individuals.
The necropolis is divided into enclosures (e.g., Enclosure 23 OS), each containing multiple tombs, suggesting family or collegia (guild) affiliations. Enclosures are separated by low walls or pathways, creating a structured yet flexible layout.
The Garden of the Fugitives, a vineyard near the necropolis, marks the site of plaster cast discoveries, integrating the burial zone with agricultural land—a common Roman practice.

Materials and Decoration:
Tombs are built primarily of tuff and limestone, coated with stucco and painted in vibrant colors (red, white, blue), though much has faded. Decorative elements include friezes with garlands, urns, or mythological motifs, and statues atop some monuments, now mostly lost to looting.
Inscriptions, carved in Latin (and occasionally Oscan in earlier tombs), detail names, titles, and epitaphs, offering biographical insights. For example, Publius Vesonius Phileros’ inscription famously curses a former friend, revealing personal drama.
Botanical remains, studied via archaeobotany, indicate offerings like cypress cones (symbolizing mourning), pinecones, and edible pulses (chickpeas, lentils), placed during rituals.

Plaster Casts Display:
Near the necropolis, between the gate and Tower II, a designated area houses plaster casts of eruption victims, created by pouring plaster into cavities left by decomposed bodies in the ash. Originally 13 casts, four remain on-site, including an adult male (1.8 meters, face down on the lapilli layer), an adolescent, an adult on his right side, and a boy (aged 7–19, once misidentified as an elderly beggar).
These casts, restored in 2024, are displayed in a modern enclosure with a protective roof, balancing preservation with public access. Their proximity to the tombs underscores the necropolis’ dual role as a place of burial and tragedy.

The necropolis covers roughly 2,000 square meters, with tombs varying from modest 1x1-meter cippi to sprawling 10-meter-wide exedras. Its preservation is uneven: some tombs retain stucco and inscriptions, but others are eroded or reconstructed, reflecting centuries of exposure.

Key Tombs and Inscriptions

Several tombs stand out for their historical and social significance, illustrating Pompeii’s diversity:

Eumachia’s Tomb:
A monumental exedra tomb attributed to Eumachia, a prominent priestess of Venus and benefactor of the Fullers’ Guild. Its semicircular bench, adorned with reliefs, could seat mourners or passersby, reflecting her public role. The tomb’s size and craftsmanship signal elite status, though its exact attribution is debated due to missing inscriptions.

Publius Vesonius Phileros’ Tomb (Tomb 21 OS):
An aedicula tomb with a high podium and columns, built by Phileros, a freedman and augustalis (priest of Augustus). Its inscription is a rare personal narrative, dedicating the tomb to Phileros, his patroness, and a friend, but denouncing the friend as “most hostile” for betrayal. Addressing travelers directly, it warns, “If you’re wise, heed life’s brevity,” blending pride with bitterness.
The tomb includes a marble herm of Phileros, emphasizing his social ascent despite his servile origins.

Caius Munatius Faustus and Naevoleia Tyche’s Tomb:
A richly decorated monument for a freedman couple, both augustales, showcasing their wealth through intricate stucco and a detailed inscription. It lists their civic contributions, including games funded for Pompeii’s youth, highlighting freedmen’s integration into public life.
A marble columella (headstone) marks Naevoleia’s burial, with traces of painted decoration.

Flavius Family Tomb:
A chamber tomb with niches containing tuff busts and columellae, inscribed with family names. It reflects multigenerational burials, common among established clans, and includes simpler graves for dependents, showing social inclusivity.

Unnamed Infant Burials:
Small cippi and amphorae burials near larger tombs contain infant remains, challenging the notion that Romans excluded children from necropoleis. These modest graves, often unmarked, suggest familial affection across classes.

These tombs reveal a spectrum of identities—patricians, freedmen, slaves, and children—united by the desire for remembrance. Inscriptions, often formulaic (e.g., “D(is) M(anibus)”—to the spirits of the dead), personalize the necropolis, making it a dialogue between the living and deceased.

Cultural Significance

The Nocera Gate Necropolis is a microcosm of Roman Pompeii’s social and spiritual life, offering insights into:

Social Hierarchy: Tomb size and decoration correlate with status, from Eumachia’s grand exedra to anonymous cippi for slaves. Freedmen like Phileros and Naevoleia used tombs to assert legitimacy, compensating for their origins with lavish displays, a phenomenon termed “freedman ambition” by scholars.
Funerary Practices: Cremation dominated, with ashes stored in urns or niches, though inhumation appears in infant burials. Rituals included processions through the Nocera Gate, offerings (food, flowers), and feasts at tombs during festivals like Parentalia. The necropolis was a lively space, integrated into daily life, not a silent graveyard.
Gender and Agency: Women like Eumachia and Naevoleia feature prominently, reflecting their roles as priestesses and benefactors. Female burials, even among slaves, suggest agency in death, challenging male-centric narratives of Roman society.
Multiculturalism: Oscan inscriptions in early tombs and Hellenistic tomb designs (e.g., aediculae) reveal Samnite and Greek influences, while Latin epitaphs reflect Romanization, illustrating Pompeii’s cultural fluidity.
The plaster casts add a universal dimension, humanizing the eruption’s victims beyond their social roles. Their contorted poses—hands covering faces, bodies curled—evoke shared vulnerability, transcending class or status.

Archaeological Significance

The necropolis has been a focal point for modern archaeology, particularly through the Porta Nocera Programme, a French-Italian-British collaboration that mapped 250 meters of the site using non-invasive methods like ground-penetrating radar and photogrammetry. Key findings include:

Subsurface Discoveries: Radar revealed hidden walls, cavities, and graves, suggesting the necropolis extends beyond visible remains. This approach preserves fragile structures while expanding knowledge.
Botanical Analysis: Studies of pollen and macroremains (e.g., cypress, pulses) reconstructed ritual offerings, linking tombs to seasonal practices and trade networks (some plants were imported).
Osteological Insights: Skeletal remains, though fragmented, show diverse burials, including infants and slaves, challenging assumptions about Roman exclusionary practices. Tooth and bone analysis hints at diets and health disparities.
Cast Restoration: The 2024 restoration of plaster casts used advanced materials to stabilize them, addressing earlier degradation from exposure. Their repositioning in a dedicated enclosure balances ethics and education.
Early excavations (1814–1950s) were less systematic, with Maiuri’s work marred by errors, like misidentifying a boy’s cast as an elderly beggar due to skeletal misreading. Modern methods correct such biases, emphasizing interdisciplinary rigor.

Current State and Preservation

The necropolis is relatively well-preserved compared to other Pompeian zones, thanks to its burial under ash, but challenges persist:

Tombs: Many retain stucco, inscriptions, and structural integrity, though colors have faded, and some statues are lost. Eumachia’s tomb and Phileros’ herm are highlights, but erosion threatens smaller cippi.
Casts: The four displayed casts, protected since 2024, are stable, but nine others remain in storage, limiting public access. Their glass enclosure, while effective, can feel clinical, distancing viewers from the site’s raw emotion.
Threats: Vegetation, water infiltration, and tourist footfall erode stone and stucco. The necropolis’ inclusion in tourist routes (e.g., to the Amphitheatre) increases wear, yet funding lags behind sites like the House of the Vettii.
Access: A 2024 pathway improves navigation, with explanatory plaques, but the site’s southeastern location makes it less visited than the Herculaneum Gate necropolis, preserving it inadvertently.

Critical Reflection

The necropolis’ narrative invites scrutiny. The emphasis on elite tombs like Eumachia’s risks marginalizing humbler burials, yet slaves’ and infants’ inclusion suggests a more egalitarian afterlife than Roman texts imply. Phileros’ bitter inscription—unique in its candor—raises questions: how typical were such personal grudges in epitaphs? The casts’ display, while poignant, commodifies suffering; their removal from original contexts (e.g., the vineyard) alters their story. Maiuri’s errors underscore archaeology’s fallibility—how many other victims were misread?

The necropolis’ vitality also challenges modern cemetery analogs. Its integration with roads and vineyards suggests death was a public, not private, affair—can we fully grasp this mindset? Finally, preservation disparities—grand tombs versus crumbling cippi—mirror ancient hierarchies, prompting us to question whose memory we prioritize.