IRCyr   Inscriptions of Roman Cyrenaica

M.97. Funerary inscription

Description: Large limestone sarcophagus.
Text: Inscribed on one side.
Letters: 0.09; bars above the abbreviated praenomen and nomen in line 1.

Date: Second to third centuries CE

Findspot: Gebel Akhdar: West of Cyrene: standing among ruins of small ancient settlement at Sirt El Hmeda; found in 1968.
Original location: Unknown
Last recorded location: Findspot

Interpretive

( vac. ) Μ(άρκου) Αὐρ(ηλίου) Ἰουλίου Βετι̣α ( vac. )
( vac. (?)) ἔδοξεν δὲ οὕτω τῷ δαίμονι Α̣Ι̣ΔΙ̣Α̣[.]ΘΗ̣
[---]Ο̣Δ̣ΟΓ̣ΜΟΙ̣[.]Λ̣Ι̣Β̣Υ̣Π̣Ι̣Ι̣Ι̣Ι̣Ο̣Υ̣Λ̣Ο̣Ι̣Ι̣[.]Λ̣Ι̣Ι̣Ο̣Ι̣Ο̣ παιδ’οὐ γεναμε[ν---]

Diplomatic

      ΜΑΥΡΙΟΥΛΙΟΥΒΕΤ.Α      
      ΕΔΟΞΕΝΔΕΟΥΤΩΤΩΔΑΙΜΟΝΙ..Δ..[·]Θ.
[---]..Ο.ΜΟ.[·]...............[·]......ΠΑΙΔΟΥΓΕΝΑΜΕ[.---]

English translation

Translation by: Charlotte Roueché

(scil. Tomb) of M(arkos) Aur(elios) (i.e. M(arcus) Aurelius) Betia: thus the spirit decided [ . . .

Commentary

Line 1, the double nomen suggests a name soon after the Edict of Caracalla; the cognomen really does not seem to be Βετρ̣α-

Line 2: the text would seem to be in verse: for the not uncommon attribution of death to a decision of fate, and for the introduction of a δαίμων rather than Μοῖρα or Hades, see Lattimore, Themes in Greek and Latin epitaphs, p. 148.

Bibliography:
Text constituted from: Transcription (Reynolds).

Images

None available (2020).


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