Description of Monument

A white marble block (0.30 x 0.52 x 0.64) chipped at upper and right edges, but otherwise complete. There is a rough protrusion on the underside, which presumably fitted into masonry below.

Description of Text

Inscribed on one face; the text must have continued on an adjacent block as part of a substantial monument. There are some gaps to avoid faults in the stone, which was not very carefully prepared to receive the inscription.

Description of Letters

0.01 (omicron) - 0.025; clear but irregular.

Date

Fourth-sixth century (content,metre).

Edition ψυχὴ σῶμα λιποῦσα το εὔλυτος ἐς μακάρων ἱερὸν γε ὀκτωκαιδεκάτῳ τετρατοπαντάπαν ἧν ἀμενηνὴ ΘεαῬώμης καὶ Φαρίης ξύνον γένοςκαλήν, μιλιχίην, ἐρατήν, πινυτὴνἕρμα σαοφροσύνης κούρην κρψυχὴ ἀθανάτοισιν ὁμέστιος ουἐδομένη φορέειν βρότεον

Apparatus

l.1. For σῶμα λιπεῖν see e.g. Peek 1907, 1963, 1978.

l.3. The girl was presumably in her eighteenth year: τετρατο- might refer to the month.

l.4. The restoration ἀμενηνή is attractive; but ἀμενὴ ἡ θέα is also possible. Thea- is probably the first element of the girl's name.

l.7. ἐδομένη for αἰδομένη: Feissel (1991) 376.

Translation The soul, leaving the body has gone, released from care, to the holy place or gathering of the blessed ones in the eighteenth year and fourth month . Entirely fleeting was Thea- or the glimpse we had of her Her descent was from both Rome and Alexandria Beautiful, gentle, loveable, discreet, a bastion of prudence was the girl whom Her soul is living with the immortals being ashamed to bear a mortal body.

Commentary

See discussion at IX.19, and, for verse inscriptions, IX.15.

Found

Cemeteries: built into a field wall some way south of the south-west stretch of the city wall.

Original Location

Unknown.

Last Recorded Location

Museum.

History of Recording

Recorded by the NYU expedition in 1972 (72. 157).

Bibliography

Published by Roueché, no. 154 and plate xxxv, whence 738, 02/09/92 (partial).

Text Constituted From

Transcription (Roueché).

Photographs

Face (1977)

Face (1977)

Category of Text

funerary; verse.

Category of Monument

masonry block.