"From beyond the grave"

Question

When someone does something after death — such as causing harm by their will — they can be said to act "from beyond the grave". Is there a similar idiom in Latin? Any era will do, although classical is preferred if there is a choice.

It is not hard to say "despite being dead", but I am looking for something more colorful if any such expression exists. It could be something as simple as ex sepulcro — and that would probably be understood — but is any such phrase attested in the literature?

If there are no equivalent idioms, presenting and discussing any such passage where passage someone is speaking from behind the grave would be very welcome.

Answer 1

In Elegies by Propertius, book IV, in part 7 the ghost of Cynthia speaks from beyond the grave. It starts with 'Sunt aliquid Manes', translated as 'ghosts do exist' or 'There are Spirits'.

Cynthia's ghost adresses here Propertius from beyond the grave with criticism about here funeral and complains at length. At the end of part 7, it ends with 'inter complexus excidit umbra meos', 'her shade then slipped away from my embrace.' or 'her shadow swiftly slipped from my embrace'.

Transcribed:

Sunt aliquid Manes: letum non omnia finit,
  luridaque euictos effugit umbra rogos.
Cynthia namque meo uisa est incumbere fulcro,
  murmur ad extremae nuper humata uiae,
cum mihi somnus ab exsequiis penderet amoris,
  et quererer lecti frigida regna mei.
eosdem habuit secum quibus est elata capillos,
  eosdem oculos: lateri uestis adusta fuit,
et solitum digito beryllon adederat ignis,
  summaque Lethaeus triuerat ora liquor.
spirantisque animos et uocem misit; at illi
  pollicibus fragiles increpuere manus:
'Perfide nec cuiquam melior sperande puellae,
  in te iam uires somnus habere potest?
iamne tibi exciderant uigilacis furta Suburae
  et mea nocturnis trita fenestra dolis?
per quam demisso quotiens tibi fune pependi,
alterna ueniens in tua colla manu!
saepe Venus triuio commissa est, pectore mixto
  fecerunt tepidas pallia nostra uias.
foederis heu taciti, cuius fallacia uerba
  non audituri diripuere Noti.
at mihi non oculos quisquam inclamauit eunti:
  unum impetrassem te reuocante diem:
nec crepuit fissa me propter harundine custos,
  laesit et obiectum tegula curta caput.
denique quis nostro curuum te funere uidit,
  atram quis lacrimis incaluisse togam?
si piguit portas ultra procedere, at illuc
  iussisses lectum lentius ire meum.
cur uentos non ipse rogis, ingrate, petisti?
  cur nardo flammae non oluere meae?
hoc etiam graue erat, nulla mercede hyacinthos
  inicere et fracto busta piare cado?
Lygdamus uratur - candescat lamina uernae -
  sensi ego, cum insidiis pallida uina bibi.
aut Nomas - arcanas tollat uersuta saliuas;
  dicet damnatas ignea testa manus.
quae modo per uiles inspecta est publica noctes,
  haec nun aurata cyclade signat humum;
et grauiora rependit iniquis pensa quiasillis,
  garrula de facie si qua locuta mea est;
nostraque quod Petale tulit ad monumenta coronas,
  codicis immundi uincula sentit anus;
caeditur et Lalage tortis suspensa capillis,
  per nomen quoniam est ausa rogare meum.
te patiente meae conflauit imaginis aurum,
  ardente e nostro dotem habitura rogo.
non tamen insector, quamuis mereare, Properti:
  longa mea in libris regna fuere tuis.
iuro ego Fatorum nulli reulobuile carmen,
  tergeminusque canis sic mihi molle sonet,
me seruasse fidem, si fallo, uipera nostris
  sibilet in tumulis et super ossa cubet.
nam gemina est sedes turpem sortita per amnem,
  turbaque diuersa remigat omnis aqua.
una Clytaemestrae stuprum uehit, altera Cressae
portat mentitae lignea monstra bouis.
ecce coronato pars altera rapta phaselo,
  mulcet ubi Elysias aura beata rosas,
qua numerosa fides, quaqua aera rotunda Cybeles
  mitratisque sonant Lydia plectra choris.
Andromedeque et Hypermestre sine fraude maritae
  narrant historiae pectora nota suae:
haec sua maternis queritur liuere catenis
  bracchia nec meritas frigida saxa manus;
narrat Hypermestre magnum ausas esse sorores,
  in scelus hoc animum non ualuisse suum.
sic mortis lacrimins uitae sanamus amores:
  celo ego perfidiae crimina multa tuae.
sed tibi nun mandata damus, si forte moueris,
  si te non totum Chloridos herba tenet:
nutrix in tremulis ne quid desideret annis
  Parthenie: potuit, nec tibi auara fuit.
deliciaeque meae Latris, cui nomen ab usu est,
  ne speculum dominae porrigat illa nouae.
et quoscumque meo fecisti nomine uerus,
  ure mihi: laudes desine habere meas.
pelle hederam tumulo, mihi quae peragrante corymbo
  mollis contortis alligat ossa comis.
ramosis Anio qua pomifer incubat aruis,
  et numquam Herculeo numine pallet ebur,
hic carmen media dignum me scribe columna,
  sed breue, quod currens uector ab urbe legat:
HIC TIBVRTINA IACET AVREA CYNTHIA TERRA:
  ACCESSIT RIPAE LAVS, ANIENE, TVAE.
nec tu sperne piis uenientia somnia portis:
  cum pia uenerunt somnia, pondus habent.
nocte uagae ferimur, nox clausas liberat umbras,
  errat et abiecta Cerberus ipse sera.
luce iubent leges Lethaea ad stagna reuerti:
  nos uehimur, uectum nauta recenset onus.
nunc te possideant aliae: mox sola tenebo:
  mecum eris, et mixtis ossibus ossa teram.'
haec postquam querula mecum sub lite peregit,
  inter complexus excidit umbra meos.

In part 11, Cornelia speaks to Paullus from beyond the grave. This part may be relevant too.

A translation of Propertius' Elegies can be found on Poetry in Translation, by A. S. Kline. The Latin text has been retrieved from Propertius Elegies I-IV, edited, with introduction and commentary, by L. Richardson, Jr. (University of Oklahoma Press), available per Library of Congress. Further discussion on the text can be found there. The transcription was done by me.

Answer 2

I think that ex sepulchro is too literal because the sepulchrum is the actual place of sepulture and ex sepulchro would mean ‘out of the grave’ not ‘from beyond the grave’. The Romans would think of the ‘inferi’, the inhabitants of the infernal regions, and I would humbly submit therefore a phrase like ‘e regione inferorum’. An academic friend of mine suggested that the ‘inferi’ is the best word here.