As I was exploring the ruins of ancient Hieropolis in modern Turkey, I looked up some information about the extensive cemetery.

That’s how I came upon this blog by Leon Mauldin about a particularly grand tomb among the necropolis.

That post tells the story of a first century merchant named Flavius Zeuxis whose massive monument bears the inscription:

Flavius Zeuxis, merchant, who sailed seventy-two trips around Cape Malea to Italy, built this.

Of course, since I was walking throughout the site, I became determined to spot Flavius’ tomb. Something about which I’d known nothing five minutes earlier became the quest of the moment – I love when this happens.

When I found the tomb, I thought a bit about Flavius’ identity as a merchant and a traveller as well as his pride in these facets of it.

I also found it fascinating which tombs here survived from the 1st and 2nd century.

Throughout the centuries and millennia, we can glean a lot about human values and meaning by looking at what is extolled and with what longevity.