ABSTRACT
Recent work has sought to recreate some of the sensory aspects of the Roman funeral, in particular seeking to reconstruct the spatial context and progression of the funerary cortège, including imagining some of the sights, sounds and smells experienced by the participants. These approaches remain largely grounded in elite Roman funerals and have also noted the role of the senses in reinforcing the social hierarchy within such elite rituals. This chapter focuses on a broader range of peoples and contexts, in order to investigate how the senses were used to shape and define the mourning experience for different participants. Scholars have reconstructed aspects of Roman funerals, remaining sensitive to changes across time and social status, and are cautious about what can be securely established. The chapter follows that tradition, identifying traits and making assertions about mourners whilst remaining mindful that accessing all peoples, places and times across the Roman era, and the full range of mourning experiences, is not possible.
