Tomb of the Diver

The Tomb of the Diver is a Greek burial site in Paestum, Italy, consisting of a limestone chamber with five painted slabs. The ceiling slab shows a diver while the four side walls present scenes from a symposion.

The chamber was discovered during excavations in 1968 about two kilometers south of ancient Poseidonia. It dates to the fifth century before the common era and belongs to a small necropolis.

The inner walls show participants reclining in pairs on couches while a single guest holds a lyre. These depictions follow the Greek tradition of understanding the symposion as a place of community and transition.

The National Museum of Paestum displays all the frescoes together with the burial items in a dedicated room. The presentation is well lit and allows close examination of the painting and its preservation.

The diver on the ceiling shows a man leaping from a diving platform into water and symbolizes the passage to the afterlife. This depiction is otherwise unknown in Greek funerary painting and remains singular to this day.

Location: Capaccio Paestum

Inception: 470s BCE

Height: 78 cm

Width: 194 cm

Made from material: fresco, plaster

GPS coordinates: 40.40000,15.00000

Latest update: December 5, 2025 22:28