One of the Roman exhibits at the National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina is this limestone funerary monument, discovered at Borčani near modern Tomislavgrad. It dates from around AD 130 to 170, when the area formed part of the Roman province of Dalmatia. I take photos of every gravestone in churchyards from before 1800, so I couldn’t find a reason not to take a photo of this and witter on about it.
The inscription begins with the letters D M, an abbreviation of Dis Manibus, meaning “to the spirits of the dead”. It records that Publius Aelius Varro dedicated the monument to his mother Dasto and his sister Paiio. Publius does not tell us what his mother or sister were like, unfortunately, although even the Romans presumably recognised that there was only so much room available on the stone. He simply states that it was erected as a token of affection and, in fairness, it’s lasted remarkably well.
Without being morbid, I don’t want a gravestone. My friend Liam will instead be busy scattering me around the world in a list of locations that I regularly update, requiring him to undertake an extensive international tour which I hope he doesn’t moan about. But if I did had a gravestone, I’d be very pleased if it survived for nearly 2,000 years. I hope he realises that even death will apparently not release Liam from the administrative burden of being my friend……