A Roman matron might mourn for a year when her husband or parent died, wearing black or dark blue, not cutting her hair, or wearing ornaments. A man's period of mourning was much shorter. In the color and idea of a period of mourning as well as in the practice of visiting the tomb of the dead, the ancient Romans were similar to modern westerners, but the reason to visit the tombs was to make offerings to placate the shades of the dead. 
Among the Romans themselves, there was a great deal of difference between the funeral procession with eulogy in the forum and a procession of all the newly freed slaves for an illustrious man or woman and the dumping of an indigent Roman citizen or slave in a pit outside the city walls. So undesirable was this dumping that slaves and poor free men contributed to funeral colleges to guarantee proper burial.
Read more about Roman burials.
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