Fullonia Officiosa, depicted in the centre of this Roman-era tombstone is a woman who made it! She rose from slavery to freedom and prosperity. The inscription labels her a *liberta*, a freed slave, and her fashionable attire, along with the monument's impressive scale, point to her elevated social standing. Like her, the other two figures depicted, also dressed in fashion, are freed slaves. All three show with satisfaction the degree of wealth they have achieved: only a wealthy family could afford such a large and richly carved tombstone.
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