IRCyr   Inscriptions of Roman Cyrenaica

C.568. Christian funerary inscription, Tomb N.83

Description: Rock-cut tomb, with C.567 and C.568 on internal walls.
Text: Painted on the wall to the left as you enter, a to the left of b. There appear to have been two texts written in similar, but quite identical, hands side by side and no doubt contemporary; about half of a is now covered by a thick layer of soot. For a description of their relationship see Rees and Reynolds, loc.cit.
Letters: Fourth-fith century CE; 0.03-0.06; lunate epsilon, lunate sigma, cursive omega; in line 12 τούτο is written with very small omicrons.

Date: Late fourth century CE

Findspot: Cyrene: North Necropolis, N.83; first recorded in 1825
Original location: Findspot
Last recorded location: Findspot.

Interpretive

a
[---]ΥΜ
[--- Θεο]δ̣ούλου
[---]
[---]Α̣ΜΕΘΑ
5[---]ΑΥΤΗΝ
[---]Λ̣ΕΞΑΤΟ
[---]ϹΟΝΙ
[---] πάτηρ
[---]Μ̣ΕΩ̣
10[---]ϹΙϹ
10[---] ( vac. )
b
((Chi-Rho)) Διμιτρία θυγάτηρ
Γάϊου τοῦ ὠνηϲαμένου
τὸ μνημῖο<ν> το̣ῦτο ἔνθαδε κῖτε
μ̣ετὰ τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτῆϲ Θεω-
5δούλου· οὗτοι ἐτελεύτηϲαν
ἐπὶ [ἀ]γροῦ Μυροπ̣ῶλα ϲιϲμοῦ
γενομένου· τέθικαν αὐτὸϲ
Κάλλιπποϲ ὁ {υ} ἀνὴρ αὐτῆϲ κὲ
{κὲ} υἱὸ̣ϲ̣ αὐτοῦ Γάϊοϲ κὲ γαμ-
10βρεό̣[ϲ] αὐτοῦ Πο̣λύβουλοϲ
Κ(ύρι)ε μνηϲθήτω τὸν ἐντὸ[ϲ] ϲπελέ-
ου τούτου.

Diplomatic

a
[---]ΥΜ
[---...].ΟΥΛΟΥ
[---]
[---].ΜΕΘΑ
5[---]ΑΥΤΗΝ
[---].ΕΞΑΤΟ
[---]ϹΟΝΙ
[---]ΠΑΤΗΡ
[---].Ε.
10[---]ϹΙϹ
10[---]      
b
ΔΙΜΙΤΡΙΑΘΥΓΑΤΗΡ
ΓΑΙΟΥΤΟΥΩΝΗϹΑΜΕΝΟΥ
ΤΟΜΝΗΜΙΟΤ.ΥΤΟΕΝΘΑΔΕΚΙΤΕ
.ΕΤΑΤΟΥΥΙΟΥΑΥΤΗϹΘΕΩ
5ΔΟΥΛΟΥΟΥΤΟΙΕΤΕΛΕΥΤΗϹΑΝ
ΕΠΙ[.]ΓΡΟΥΜΥΡΟ.ΩΛΑϹΙϹΜΟΥ
ΓΕΝΟΜΕΝΟΥΤΕΘΙΚΑΝΑΥΤΟϹ
ΚΑΛΛΙΠΠΟϹΟΥΑΝΗΡΑΥΤΗϹΚΕ
ΚΕΥΙ..ΑΥΤΟΥΓΑΙΟϹΚΕΓΑΜ
10ΒΡΕ.[.]ΑΥΤΟΥΠ.ΛΥΒΟΥΛΟϹ
ΚΕΜΝΗϹΘΗΤΩΤΟΝΕΝΤΟ[.]ϹΠΕΛΕ
ΟΥΤΟΥΤΟΥ

Apparatus

1: ΔΑΝΛΕΘΑ
11: τ could be π

French translation

Translation source: AE

(1992): ii: Dimitria, fille de Gaios, lui qui a acquis ce monument, repose ici avec son fils Théodoulos; ceux-ci sont morts dans le domaine de Myropolas lors d'un tremblement de terre; Kallippos son mari, Gaios son fils et son gendre Polyboulos les ont déposés. Seigneur, souviens-toi de ceux qui reposent dans cet hypogée.

French translation

Translation source: AE

(2005): ii: Dimitria, fille de Gaius qui a acheté ce monument, repose ici avec son fils Théodoulos. Ils périrent sur le domaine de Myropolas lors d'un tremblement de terre. C'est Kallippos en personne, son mari, qui les a ensevelis avec son fils Gaius et son gendre Polyboulos. Que le Seigneur se souvienne de celui qui repose en ce caveau.

English translation

Translation source: Reynolds-Ward-Perkins-Goodchild, 2003

i: (not usefully translatable)

ii: Dimitria daughter of Gaius, who bought the tomb, lies here with her son Theodoulos; they died on the farm Myropylas, in an earthquake. Kallippos himself, her husband buried them and his son Gaius and his brother-in-law Polyboulos. Lord, remember those within this cave.

Commentary

A family tree may be constructed as follows: Gaios, the father, had Polyboulos and Demetria as son and daughter. She married Kallippos, and with him she gave birth to Theodoulos and Gaios.

b: Lines 2-3: An interesting light on the history of a re-used tomb.

Line 6: Either the name of an estate or possibly a district of Cyrene - the Perfumers' Quarter.

Lines 6-7. Prossibly but not necessarily to be identified with the earthquake of 365 described by Ammianus Marcellinus, XXVI 10.15 and Libanius, Or. XVIII.291; so Roques, 1987, 45-48, whence SEG XXXVIII.1902.

Line 9: γαμβρός might mean son-in-law, brother-in-law or father-in-law; the third meaning is inappropriate here, and of the other two, brother-in-law seems the more probable.

Line 11: ΚΕ, presumably for Κ(ύρι)ε , but there is no superscript bar and it may be preferable to take it as κὲ = καί.

Bibliography: Pacho, 1827 LXIII.9 and Letronne, p.395, whence CIG, vol. IV, 9136; Comparetti, 1914 with fig.3 (heavily touched up); mentioned Reynolds, 1960, 6, Robert, Bulletin Épigraphique, 1979.656; revised Reynolds-Rees, 1992, II, whence Dobias-Lalou, Bulletin Épigraphique, 1993.700, SEG 42.1675, AE 1992.1733, Feissel, 2006 998, Cinalli, 2016, 185-186, and fig. 9.2; republished Reynolds-Ward-Perkins-Goodchild, 2003, 176.a-b, whence Dobias-Lalou, Bulletin Épigraphique, 2004.450, AE 2005.1650 For the tomb see Cassels, 1955, N.83, Thorn, 2009, 50, with bibliography; mentioned Kenrick, 2013, 239.
Text constituted from: Transcription (Reynolds).

Images

   Fig. 1. Transcription (1827, Pacho, plate LXIII)

   Fig. 2. Transcription detail (1827, Pacho, plate LXIII.9)

   Fig. 3. View

   Fig. 4. Text part 1

   Fig. 5. Text part 2

   Fig. 6. Text part 3

   Fig. 7. Text part 4

   Fig. 8. Text part 5

   Fig. 9. Text part 6