Back to section: Etruria

Lid of sarcophagus (of the so-called Fat Man)

First half of the 3rd century B.C.
Florence, Museo Archeologico Nazionale
Inv. 5482

 

On the lid an elderly aristocrat lies in a half-reclining position, with a garland around his neck, a ring on the ring finger of his left hand, and a patera held in his right. The fatness of the deceased, a symbol of opulence, is clearly evident.

APPROFONDIMENTI

The Obesus Etruscus

The opulent Etruscan aristocrat is a type frequently found in ancient literature, mentioned by Virgil, Catullus and others. Posidonius of Apamea (2nd-1st century B.C.) reports that the Etruscans ate twice a day, a real luxury in the eyes of the Greeks. Many writers attributed this custom to Etruscan society as a whole. In reality, the practice of banqueting was reserved to the upper classes, who displayed their wealth and power in this manner.