WP 0005

IRT2021
Inscriptions of Roman Tripolitania 2021

1208. Christian funerary text (En-Ngila cemetery)

Description: Tomb of rubble, with a plaster surface, w: 2.05 x h: 0.60 x d: 0.72.
Text: Inscribed i on the south face, ii on the north face.
Letters: Large clear uncial letters

Date: 15 August 969 CE: 6477 a.m. (internal date)

Findspot: Tripoli: Christian cemetery among the sand-dunes at en-Ngila.
Original location: Findspot
Last recorded location: Findspot

Interpretive

i
[in hoc tum]ulo iacet corpus bone memorie
[c. 4] -rus. Bixit annos plus minus XXX. Recessit
de oc [saecu]lo in anno VI m(i)ll(e)s(im)o CCCCLXXVII XV die in mense Agusto ( vac. )
ii
o bos omnes qui transitis bias aspicite et [bidete?]
sic est dolor bester, sic est dolor meus. Orate pro me
ut sic abeatis D(eu)m adiutorem in diem iudicii. Am(en)

Diplomatic

i
[........]ULOIACETCORPUSBONEMEMORIE
[····]RUSBIXITANNOSPLUSMINUSXXXRECESSIT
DEOC[.....]LOINANNOVIMLLSOCCCCLXXVIIXVDIEINMENSEAGUSTO      
ii
OBOSOMNESQUITRANSITISBIASASPICITEET[......]
SICESTDOLORBESTERSICESTDOLORMEUSORATEPROME
UTSICABEATISDMADIUTOREMINDIEMIUDICIIAM

1: in hoc tumulo iacet Paribeni, 1927
2: [c. 4] -us Paribeni, 1927
3: UI mil(e)s(im)o CCCC septuagesimo secundo Paribeni, 1927 ; UI mil(e)s(im)o CCCC septuagesimo secundo Paribeni, 1927 ; XV i(n)dic(tio) Paribeni, 1927

English translation

Translation by: Charlotte Roueché

(i): In this tomb lies the body of [ -]rus, of good memory. He lived more or less 30 years. He left this world in the year 6 thousand 477, day 15 in the month August.

(ii): Oh all you who pass on the road, behold and [see] if your grief is such as my grief. Pray for me that thus I may have God as my helper in the day of judgement. Amen.

Commentary

ii.1: See Lamentations 1.12, available at Perseus.

Bibliography: Paribeni, 1927, VIII; mentioned and indexed IRT, 1952, 262, whence mentioned IRT, 2009, 262; Bartoccini, 1977 III