Law of the Funeral, 37, Digest, on religious rites and funeral expenses.

that were incurred for ointment prepared for the body of the dead, which became religious and funeral expenses.

THAT NO SUMPTUOUS SPRINKLING SHOULD BE MADE, NOR SHOULD MURRAH-SCENTED DRINK BE POURED OVER THE DEAD: NOR SHOULD LONG GARLANDS OR INCENSE BOXES BE USED.

ALL of which exist in the same place in Cicero; from which it is understood that it was the custom for the corpse or the pyre to be sprinkled with certain precious liquids.

Mention is made of it in Festus.

It is understood that a murrah-scented drink, prepared from myrrh and made fragrant, is meant; the law forbids this expense from being incurred for the dead.

What an acerra is.

Afterward follows, NOR SHOULD INCENSE BOXES acerras incense-caskets BE USED. What is signified by this word is difficult to say. For Festus, after he had said that an acerra incense-casket is an altar that used to be placed before the dead, upon which perfumes were burned, afterward writes that others think it is a small incense-chest, namely where they kept the frankincense.

Hotoman thinks it should be understood rather as altars, so that the law forbids the altars that were placed near the sepulchers from being surrounded with incense and burned perfumes, especially since it is written thus shortly after in Ovid:

Nor does it please to give incense, to gods who entreat for nothing.

From Pliny, Book 21, chap. 3. From Cicero, Book 2.

HE WHO HAS WON A CROWN HIMSELF OR BY HIS MONEY FOR THE SAKE OF HIS VIRTUE.