Monumental Tomb with Longest Funerary Inscription Unearthed in Pompeii

A monumental tomb has been discovered in Pompeii, featuring a funerary inscription over four meters long—the longest ever found at the site. The inscription is a biography (res gestae) of the deceased, likely Gnaeus Alleius Nigidius Maius, a wealthy financier of gladiatorial games. It references the riot in the amphitheater in 59 AD, which Tacitus recorded in Annales XIV, 17, and which prompted Emperor Nero to ban games for ten years, dissolve athlete associations, and exile instigators. The inscription reveals that the Duoviri (city magistrates) were also exiled. The tomb's large frieze with gladiatorial scenes, previously stored at the National Archaeological Museum of Naples, is now linked to this burial. Above the volcanic lapilli layer, traces of a caravan fleeing the 79 AD eruption were found, along with nearby skeletons. The discovery occurred during renovation of a 19th-century building for a library; director Massimo Osanna noted that internal funds were used for the excavation. The find is part of the Great Pompeii Project, funded by the Ministry, focusing on public buildings to understand the city's socio-political structure. Paolo Giulierini, director of the Naples museum, expressed satisfaction with the collaboration, highlighting the close ties between the two institutions.