Religions Collide: Investigating Identity Expression on Tombs in Rome Between the Second and Fourth Centuries CE

This thesis considers identity expression of burials in the city of Rome in the second through fourth centuries CE. The identities in question are pagan, Jewish, and Christian, as well as the overarching civic Roman identity. Such a comparison is not often done, as the three different religions are usually studied separately and with different purposes. The thesis looks at the archaeological remains of the three categories of burial and applies a theory of Emile Durkheim to the burial decorations. The symbols on graves and burial “tendencies”, or customs, I argue, project an identity of the deceased with a particular society. All four identities are projected on graves, and the sub-societies (Jewish and Christian) demonstrate influence of the larger one (Romans and paganism). Throughout the period, there seems to be an intensification of individual identity projection among the three groups, suggesting they are consciously reacting to the other’s presence. This all fits within the larger cosmopolitan nature of the Roman empire during this time.