Memento mori, Roman, 199 BCE-500 CE

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Memento mori, Roman, 199 BCE-500 CE. Science Museum, London. Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0). Source: Wellcome Collection.

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Memento mori translates from Latin as “Remember you must die”. This is a special type of memento mori called a larva convivialis, given to revellers at a banquet or feast. Even when the Romans were enjoying themselves, they still were reminded of their own mortality. The bronze skeleton is just over 110 mm high. For an unknown reason the right leg of the articulated skeleton has been substituted for a left arm. This is an extremely rare example. maker: Unknown maker Place made: Roman Republic and Empire

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