Description of Monument

A white marble sarcophagus, with lid, decorated with swags between pilasters.

Description of Text

ll. 1-3 inscribed on the lid, on the lower moulding, including the projections, ll. 4-6 on the sarcophagus, on the lower edge of the chest.

Letters

0.02-0.03; l. 1, lettercutter avoids crack in the stone; ligatures: l. 2, ΜΜ; l. 3, ΗΕ; l. 4, ΤΗ (both); l. 5, ΤΗ; l. 6, ΝΗ, ΗΝ, ΜΗΝ.

Date

After 212; perhaps first quarter of the third century (lettering).

Edition ἡ σορὸς καὶ ὁ τόπος καθ' ὁς ἐνκεῖται ἐστιν Μάρκου Αὐρηλίου Ζωτικοῦ τοῦ Διονυστίου εἰς ἣν σορὸν ταφήσονται αὐτὸς Ζωτικὸς ὁ προγεγραμμένος καὶ Αὐρηλία Τατία ἡ γυνὴ αὐτοῦ ἕτερος δὲ οὐδεὶς ἕξει ἐξουσίαν ἐνθάψαι τινα ἢ ἐκθάψαι τῶν προγεγραμμένων ἐπεὶ ἔστω ἀσεβὴς καὶ ἐπάρατος καὶ τυμβωρύχος καὶ προσαποτείσει τῇ θεῷ Ἀφροδείτῃ ἀργυρίου δηνάρια βφ καὶ τῇ σεμνοτάτῃ συντεχνίᾳ τῶν τεκτόνων δηνάρια α ὧν τὸ τρίτον ἔστω τοῦ ἐγδικήσαντος τῆς ἐπιγραφῆς ἀπετέθη ἀντίγραφον εἰς τὸ χρεοφυλάκιον ἐπί στεφανηφόρου Ζήνωνος Μυλλέου τὸ β μηνὸς Καισαρεῶνος

Apparatus

l. 1, ΔΙΟΝΥΣΤΟΥ, lapis.

l. 5, ΣΑΝ omitted.

Translation

The sarcophagus and the plot on which it stands belong to Marcus Aurelius Zotikos son of Dionysios, in which sarcophagus shall be buried Zotikos himself, the aforementioned, and Aurelia Tatia his wife; but no one else shall have the right to bury anyone in it or remove any of the aforementioned, since he is to be (considered) sacrilegious and accursed and a tomb-breaker and in addition shall pay to the goddess Aphrodite 2500 silver denarii, and to the worshipful company of builders 1000 denarii, of which one third shall belong to the prosecutor. A copy of the inscription was deposited in the property-archive in the second stephanephorate of Zenon son of Mylleas, month Caesareon.

Commentary

The sarcophagus was found in the same tomb-chamber as 13.108, 13.109, 13.110 (Isik 116, 178, 179), and another of a different type 13.101 (unpublished), which should all be approximately of the same period. In fact the owners are all Aurelii, and the texts all show features suggestive of the first half of the third century. For the reckoning of part of the fine in silver denarii see Introduction.

The text is notable for its reference to the syntechnia of builders who are to receive part of the funerary fine. It points to the probable associates of the owning family—Zotikos may have been a builder himself—and so to its modest social status. Husband and wife were Roman citizens, probably enfranchised in A.D. 212. It is possible that the owner is related to the M. Aurelius Zotikos father of the owner of 13.110, but the two men have different patronymics so could not be closer than cousins. The curse is formulated in terms standard at Aphrodisias; it is not uncommon that the fine should be divided between two recipients and Aphrodite is commonly one. Zotikos in fact has interestingly combined a feature appropriate to a tradesman with elements in use by persons of high as well as lower social status.

The stephanephoros is not otherwise known at present; he was not apparently a Roman citizen so his tenure was presumably post mortem. Of his names, Zenon is very common in the city but Mylleas is otherwise unattested so far.

The funerary fine is a little under average.

See further Reynolds, loc. cit..

Locations

Findspot Necropolis, North-east in chamber tomb, 1994, with 13.108 (411), 1447 (412), 13.110 (414), 13.101 (415). Museum (1994).

Text Constituted From

Transcription (Reynolds).

History of Recording

Found by the Aphrodisias Museum in winter 1993-4 (Sarcophagus 410).

Bibliography

Published by Reynolds, in G. Schmeling ed., Qui miscuit utile dulci, Festschrift for Paul MacKendrick (Wauconda Illinois, 1998), 287-296 whence 1998.1372 48 1998.1326.; by Reynolds and Isik, no. 173

Photographs

Sarcophagus (1994)

Sarcophagus (1994)