Many of the tombs in S Maria del Popolo are rich in foliage of various kinds, from acanthus and other varieties of swirling greenery (1 2 3 ) to garlands or bunches of fruit (4 5 6; 2; 3; 11; ) and flowers (13; 10; 1; ). These even appear on sarcophagi, surely as a vouchsafing of the eternal life of the spirit after the death of the body (4 )

The use of profuse foliage - with the meaning of abundance or plenty - is a standard device in the ancient world, and especially prominent in Rome at the time of Augustus. S Costanza;