"Real amazing hidden gem at the start of the ancient via Appia. You have to find a tour guide. We used Roma Sotterranea, with Sara as our guide. High recommended!"

poluistor nobody

"TOMB OF THE SCIPIONS

Rome, off the beaten track, offers breathtaking landscapes and heritage.
This morning we visited the Tomb of the Scipios on the Appian Way: an incredible complex spanning the 3rd century BC and the Imperial Age, with several tiers of tombs and a beautiful insula. There were four of us, the caretaker, and a wonderful archaeologist, an expert in topography but also a link between anthropology, architecture, and literature.
The Scipios were a powerful and wealthy family that produced figures such as Scipio Cornelius Barbatus, Scipio Aemilianus, and Scipio Africanus; They were progressives in the modern sense, open to the cultural stimuli of the Greek world and interested in non-Roman intellectuals, to the point that the historian Polybius, captured during one of the conquest campaigns, joined the Scipio circle, made up of intellectuals and men of letters of the caliber of Ennius and Terence.
At the end of the 3rd century BC, Scipio Africanus defeated Hannibal at Zama and then conquered Asia Minor. Despite a resounding triumph, he was subjected to such strong political attacks from the conservative faction represented by Cato the Censor that he went into self-exile, uttered the famous invective "ungrateful fatherland, I have no bones left to me," and was subsequently buried a liternum.
From this visit, I took home the stark contrast between two philosophers, which I will discuss in more detail in the next post but which can be summed up by the maxim of Terence, a member of the Scipio circle and born in North Africa: "HOMO SUM HUMANI NIHIL A ME ALIENUM PUTO" (I am human, nothing is alien to me) and that of Cato the Censor with his Romanus sum (I am Roman).
See you in the next post to explore the implications of these two diametrically opposed visions, both culturally and politically, even today."

sonia modenese

"An Authentic Immersion in Republican Rome
The Tomb of the Scipios is a fascinating and often overlooked archaeological site, offering a unique insight into Republican Rome. Tucked away a short distance from the bustling Baths of Caracalla and Porta San Sebastiano, this hypogeum was the burial place of the noble Scipio family, one of the most important and influential in ancient Rome, from the 3rd to the 1st century BC.
Visiting the tomb is a captivating experience: you enter a complex of tunnels dug into the tuff, where the burial niches and funerary inscriptions ("elogia") celebrating the virtues and achievements of family members, including legendary figures such as Scipio Africanus, are still visible (or have been replaced with copies, as the originals are preserved elsewhere, such as the sarcophagus of Scipio Barbatus in the Vatican Museums).
The atmosphere is intimate and steeped in history, far removed from the more imposing monumentality of other Roman sites. Here, one can tangibly sense the grandeur of a gens that profoundly influenced the history of Rome. It's a place that invites reflection and offers an authentic glimpse into the funerary traditions and aristocratic mentality of the Republican era.
For history and archaeology enthusiasts, or simply for those seeking a fascinating place off the beaten track, the Tomb of the Scipios is a highly recommended stop that greatly enriches one's understanding of Rome's long and complex history."

Diego Cesaro