WP 0005

IRT2021
Inscriptions of Roman Tripolitania 2021

0764. Fragmentary funerary verse

Description: A limestone sarcophagus, decorated with a relief of a casket supported by putti: broken away above.
Text: Inscribed within the face of the casket, which is moulded below.
Letters: Clear and elegant: no measurements.

Date: First-third centuries CE (content)

Findspot: Lepcis Magna: West Necropolis, a mausoleum in Wadi Rsaf. Seen by Delaporte in 1806, and foud again in 1996.
Original location: Findspot
Last recorded location: Findspot (1996)

Interpretive

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-ον παῖδά μ’ [ἀποφθῖϲθαι μίτοϲ ὡϲ ἐπέ-]
κλωϲεν ὁ Μοιρῶν παῖδά με [τυ]μβε[ῦ-]
ϲαι καὶ ἀφε[γγ]έα νύκτα περᾶϲαι.

Diplomatic

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ΟΝΠΑΙΔΑΜ[....................-]
ΚΛΩϹΕΝΟΜΟΙΡΩΝΠΑΙΔΑΜΕ[..]ΜΒΕ[.-]
ϹΑΙΚΑΙΑΦΕ[..]ΕΑΝΥΚΤΑΠΕΡΑϹΑΙ

English translation

Translation by: J. M. Reynolds

[---] for me to die as a child, since the thread of the Fates spun that I should be buried as a child and come to the darkness without light.

Bibliography: Delaporte, 1836 32, whence CIG, Vol.III, 5363 a) Reported at CIL VIII, 1881, 7, more fully CIL VIII suppl.1, 1891. 10997, from Delaporte's transcription; IRT, 1952, 764, whence PHI 189528, IRT, 2009, 764, whence EDH 059611; Found and photographed Musso et al., 1997 266 and plate CXLI

Images

None available (2021).