About 18/12
BC Tomb of Gaius Cestius Epulone (d. 12 BC), perhaps the praetor in 44 BC
It was
built in less than 330 days for his heirs, according to the inscription on one
side: the last will and testament of Gaius Cestius was that if they had not
completed it within 330 days they would not have obtained his rich heritage
36.40 m
(119.4 feet) high, the base sides measure 29.50 m (96.4 feet)
It is an
enormous flow of concrete covered with slabs of Carrara marble
It was
known in the Middle Ages as Meta Remi (post of Remus) being meta a
word indicating the post in form of a pyramid or cone placed in the center of
circuses (hippodromes) and therefore by extension indicating in the Middle ages
the tombs with this shape
The Meta Romuli (post of Romulus)
was located at the beginning of today's Via della Conciliazione and it was
demolished in 1499. It was similar in size to the Pyramid of Gaius Cestius
The
rectangular cell of 5.85 x 4 m (19.2 x 13.1 feet) was richly decorated with
paintings almost completely disappeared except for “Four Victories” at the
corners of the vault: it is the oldest example of decoration of the so-called
III Pompeian style