Description: Rock-cut tomb, with a single chamber, with continuous painting on all four interior walls, at 0.80 above the floor.
Text: Painted, in several hands, beside several of the figures. There is a venatio to either side of the entrance;
on the left wall, gladiatorial combats, one captioned with 1; on the back wall, chariot races and athletic contests, captioned
by 2 ; on the right wall, musical and
theatrical spectacles, captioned by 3.
Letters: No measurements
Date: Late second century CE
Findspot:
Cyrene:
North Necropolis, Tomb N.22; recorded
in 1823; found again in 1960s.
Original location: Findspot
Last recorded location:
Findspot.
English translation
Translation by: Charlotte Roueché
1: Epiktetos, fighter in armour. 2: ??. 3, i: But the door has sounded; the father is approaching. ii: I shall knock myself
Commentary
After the initial publication by Pacho, this material was cited frequently, but not seen again until the work of Bacchielli and the Italian team in the 1960s
3: This suggests a performance of a comedy, where the protagonists are startled by a knock on the door - perhaps from a vengeful father.
Bibliography: Pacho, 1827 XLIX, L, LII, LIII, whence CIG, Vol.III, 5149b; mentioned by Barth, 1849, 444, Hamilton, 1856, 67-69, with plates from Pacho, Smith-Porcher, 1864, 29; re-examined and described Bacchielli, 1993; published more fully, with observations from J.M. Reynolds, Bacchielli, 2002, whence SEG 52.1845, Dobias-Lalou, Bulletin Épigraphique, 1994.699; discussed Cinalli, 2016, 191-192.For the tomb see Cassels, 1955 N.22, Thorn, 2009, 31.
Text constituted from: From previous publications (Roueché)
Images
Fig. 1. Transcription (1827, Pacho, plate XLIX)
Fig. 2. Back wall (1827, Pacho, plate L)
Fig. 3. Venationes (1827, Pacho, plate LII)
Fig. 4. Gladiatorial combats (1827, Pacho, plate LIII)