Roman gravestone found New Orleans to be returned to Italy

[guy]

A Roman gravestone, removed from Italy during WWII and relocated to a backyard in New Orleans, Louisiana, will be returned to Italy (see video below).

Here is a translation and explanation of the inscription: 

 

 

🪦 Latin Inscription:

D(is) M(anibus) / S(e)x(to) Congenio Vero / mi(liti) cl(assis) p(raetoriae) Mi(senensis) natio(ne) Bes(sso) / vixit an(nis) XLII mi(litavit) an(nis) XXII / Tutela (triere) Asc(l)epio / fece(runt) Atilius Carus / et Vettius Longi/nus heredes / b(ene) m(erenti)

📜 Translation:

"To the spirits of the dead. For Sextus Congenius Verus, soldier of the praetorian fleet Misenensis, from the tribe of the Bessi [i.e., a Thracian]. He lived 42 years, served 22 in the military, on the trireme Asclepius. Atilius Carus and Vettius Longinus, his heirs, made this for him, well deserving."

🧭 Contextual Notes:

·         D.M. (Dis Manibus): A standard Roman funerary dedication meaning “To the spirits of the dead.”

·         Sextus Congenius Verus: The deceased, a Roman sailor.

·         Classis Praetoria Misenensis: The elite imperial fleet stationed at Misenum, near Naples.

·         Natio Besso: Indicates he was ethnically Bessian — a Thracian tribe from the Balkans.

·         Trireme Asclepius: Named after the Greco-Roman god of medicine, suggesting the ship may have had ceremonial or medical significance.

·         Atilius Carus and Vettius Longinus: His heirs, likely fellow sailors, as Roman soldiers were not legally permitted to marry until later imperial reforms.

·         Bene merenti: “Well deserving” — a common epitaph honoring the deceased’s service and character.

This stele is a rare and poignant example of Roman naval funerary practice.

 

 

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-married-couple-in-new-orleans-found-a-stone-in-their-backyard-it-turned-out-to-be-an-ancient-roman-soldiers-gravestone-180987485/

 

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/ap/article-15182737/A-long-lost-ancient-Roman-artifact-reappears-New-Orleans-backyard.html

 

 

Edited October 11, 2025 by guy