Mauseoleum of the Haterii, Vatican

Speranza

Gregoriano Profano Museum

Mausoleum of the Haterii Cat. 9997, 9998 These reliefs were part of the rich decoration of the tomb of the Haterii, a family of builders who built their own tomb along the ancient via Labicana in the early years of the 2nd century A.D. One of the reliefs shows a funerary monument in the form of a small temple: at the top the funeral bier can be seen; on the left appears what seems to be a machine used in its building, a sort of crane which is powered by a large wheel worked by slaves. This clearly refers to the family's construction business. The Haterii were involved in much building work during the Flavian period, and these are proudly displayed in the relief below: from left, there is the monumental entrance of the Temple of Isis and Serapis in the Campo Marzio and the Colosseum. The identification of the other three images is more controversial. The triumphal arch with a single archway and a chariot crowning the top has been identified as the Arch of Titus, and the great arch with the goddess Roma at the centre was perhaps a building in the Colosseum area. The temple is probably that of Jupiter Stator on the slopes of the Palatine Hill.