An excavation in central Italy uncovered a six-centimetre bronze skeleton, prompting fresh debate about how wealthy Romans confronted mortality while dining. Archaeologists described it as “a unique Roman figurine that offers a fascinating perspective on ancient customs,” according to Libertatea.
Scholars identified the piece as a larva convivialis, or banquet ghost, a party favor so rare that only about a dozen examples survive. “These spooky skeletons were probably handed out at dinner parties to remind people of their mortality and to encourage them to enjoy every moment of life,” reported Live Science.
The Getty Villa in Los Angeles now houses the figurine, which measured roughly 6.6 centimetres and dated between 199 BCE and 500 CE. Articulated limbs once held by tiny pins let hosts make the skeleton dance among the serving platters. Only part of its left leg survived, yet the torso still showed wide eye sockets, an open mouth that resembled a grin, a rigid spine, and drilled joints.
A 1980 study cited by then-Getty curator Faya Causey Frel explained that the figure served as a memento mori. “It was perhaps more important that the bony specters were lively,” wrote Frel, stressing that playful articulation mattered more than anatomical accuracy.
“Since death is humanity's greatest fear, one should enjoy the pleasures of life,” outlining the Epicurean philosophy that underpinned such objects.
Roman literature echoed the same lesson. In the first-century novel Satyricon, Petronius described Trimalchio displaying a silver skeleton with movable joints. “This skeleton that is before us is what we shall be at the end! So let us enjoy life while it is dear!” proclaimed the character, according to Live Science. Another translation rendered the warning as, “Alas for us poor mortals. Thus we shall all be, after Hades takes us away. Therefore, let us live while it goes well with us,” Discover Magazine reported.
The artisans who produced these toys remain unknown, yet the surviving bronze in Los Angeles and a silver version from Pompeii showed meticulous engineering. Pins at joints, grooves for teeth, and hollowed eye sockets suggested workshops accustomed to luxury commissions. “This attention to detail is something that party-goers probably loved,” stated Discover Magazine.
Banquet ghosts surfaced across the former empire, confirming that the fashion extended beyond isolated elites. “The statuette offers a fascinating perspective on how ancient Romans approached existential themes such as life and death, combining philosophy with entertainment at their sophisticated parties,” wrote Libertatea.
Written with the help of a news-analysis system.