View from the past

The gravestone of Silius, son of Atto, horseman from the Ala Picentiana, was found in 1834 in a vineyard between Dienheim and Ludwigshöhe (Mainz-Bingen district). When it was found, it was one of the few Roman stones in the Rhine region with nearly completely preserved original painting. Unfortunately, the paint was soon lost due to the improper placement of the stone outdoors in the 19th century. A few traces of paint, especially in the semicircular niche, can still be seen with the naked eye today. The watercolor by Johann Lindenschmit from 1835, later supplemented by new observations from Heinrich Wallau in a drawing from 1908, provides a good idea of the original colouring.

Recent color examinations in 2024 by colleagues from the universities of Mainz and Glasgow revealed a surprise: the pupil painted on with black paint has been preserved in the right eye of the servant in the upper part of the picture; the past is thus looking directly at us.