To date, mourning has not featured prominently in studies of Roman death and this book redresses that fact by presenting a comprehensive analysis of who mourners were and what mourners did, as well as addressing the social, cultural and ritual significance of mourning. It brings together varied evidence, ranging from literature and art to epigraphy, which helps to illustrate the ritual of mourning. Valerie M. Hope address fundamental questions about how mourning was expressed, displayed and performed, and in turn what mourning can reveal about Roman society.

In previous literature on the topic, roles played by mourners in funeral rituals and commemorative acts may be acknowledged, but there has been little engagement with the specific emotional and physical behaviours of mourners. When mourning has been considered, the emphasis has predominantly fallen on gender and specific literary genres. There have hitherto been few attempts to unite the diverse evidence for Roman mourning to consider different literary genres simultaneously or to evaluate how mourning was presented through material culture. The evaluation of social expectations, legal regulations and idealised roles – across a diverse evidence base and time frame – make this volume the first full and systematic study of mourning in the Roman world.