The funerary art of ancient Rome changed throughout the course of the Roman Republic and the Empire and took many different forms. There were two main burial practices used by the Romans throughout history, one being cremation, another inhumation. The vessels used for these practices include sarcophagi, ash chests, urns, and altars. In addition to these, mausoleums, stele, and other monuments were also used to commemorate the dead. The method by which Romans were memorialized was determined by social class, religion, and other factors. While monuments to the dead were constructed within Roman cities, the remains themselves were interred outside the cities.

After the end of Etruscan rule, Roman laws regarding laying the dead to rest became very strict. A major issue was the legality and morality of interring the dead within the city limits. Many Roman towns and provinces had similar rules, often in their charters, such as the Lex Ursonensis. Particularly at the very end of the Republic, exceptions to this principle became more frequent, albeit only for the most powerful leaders. The means used to commemorate the dead served to acknowledge the gods, but also served as means of social expression depicting Roman values and history.

Early Christians continued this custom until Late antiquity, but liked to be buried close to the graves of martyrs. Catacombs and funerary halls, that later became great churches, grew up around the graves of famous martyrs outside the walls of Rome.

In ancient Rome, Roman citizens would memorialize their dead by creating cippi or grave altars. These altars became, not just commissioned by the rich, but also commonly erected by freedmen and slaves. The function of these altars was either to house the ashes of the dead or just to symbolically commemorate the memory of the deceased. Often, practical funerary altars were constructed to display vessels that contained the ashes and burnt bones of the deceased. These ash urns were placed in deep cavities of the altars that were then covered with a lid. Other times, there was a depression in the altar in which libations could be poured. Some Roman funerary altars were provided with pipes so that these libations could "nourish" the remains. Less commonly, the body of the deceased was placed in the altar. While some altars contained remnants of the deceased, most Roman funerary altars had no practical function and only were erected to memorialize the dead.

The practice of erecting Roman funerary altars is linked to the tradition of constructing votive altars to honor the gods. Due to the acceptance that altars act as a symbol of reverence, it is believed that funerary altars were used to heroicize the deceased. Funerary altars differed from votive altars that honored the gods, because they were not recipients of blood sacrifices. Grave altars of heroes were connected with ritual sacrifices, but altars of regular Roman citizens were not. This practical difference is determined because Roman funerary altars do not have sacrificial pans or braziers. By having a similar appearance to votive altars, the symbolism of the reverence of a sacrifice was implied, therefore conveying proper respect to the dead. While having different meanings, the two types of altars were similarly constructed, both aboveground and round or rectangular in shape.

Funerary altars of more wealthy Roman citizens were often found on the interior of more elaborate tombs. Altars erected by the middle class were also set up in or outside of monumental tombs, but also in funerary precincts that lined the roads leading out of the city of Rome. The altars that were part of tomb complexes were set up on family plots or on building plots bought by speculators, who then sold them to individual owners. Tombs and altars had a close connection in the mind of a Roman, evidenced by the Latin inscriptions where tombs are described as if they were altars.

Epitaphs on funerary altars provide much information about the deceased, most often including their name and their filiation or tribe. Less often, the age and profession of the deceased was included in the epitaph. A typical epitaph on a Roman funerary altar opens with a dedication to the manes, or the spirit of the dead, and closes with a word of praise for the honoree. These epitaphs, along with the pictorial attributes of the altars, allow historians to discern much important information about ancient Roman funerary practices and monuments. Gathered from the funerary altars, they make it clear that the majority of the altars were erected by a homogeneous group of middle-class citizens.

Epitaphs often emphasize the relationship between the deceased and dedicant, with most relationships being familial (husbands and wives, parents and children, etc.). Many altars also feature portraits of the deceased. Extrapolating from the evidence of epitaphs and portraits on the altars, it can be concluded that freedmen and their descendants most frequently commissioned funerary altars in Rome—people who were teachers, architects, magistrates, writers, musicians and so on.