WP 0005

IRT2021
Inscriptions of Roman Tripolitania 2021

0239. Funerary inscriptions

Description: Elaborately painted rock-cut tomb with two sepulcral recesses each containing a sarcophagus.
Text: a) Above one recess, within a wreath (diam. 0.48) upheld by flying putti. b) Above the second recess, within a tabella ansata (die, w: 0.55 x h: 0.21) upheld by flying putti. c) i, on the lid of the sarcophagus in recess a; ii on the lid of the sarcophagus in recess b.
Letters: Late third or fourth century; a: 0.06; b: 0.03; c: no measurements.

Date: Late third or fourth century (context)

Findspot: Tripoli: Gargaresh, west of Tripoli (map ref. L 418665), immediately south of the main coast road.
Original location: Findspot
Last recorded location: a, b, in situ ( 2008); c, believed to be in Tripoli Castle.

Interpretive

a
D(is) m(anibus) s(acrum)
Aelia Arisuth
uixit annos
sexaginta
5plus minus
b
D(is) [m(anibus)] s(acrum)
Aelios Ma[c. 5] Iurathani
bix[i]ṭ an[n]o[s] -[c. 5]agin[ta] quiṇ[que]
plus m[i]nus
c
i
Quae lea iacet
ii
Qui leo iacet

Diplomatic

a
DMS
AELIAARISUTH
UIXITANNOS
SEXAGINTA
5PLUSMINUS
b
D[..]S
AELIOSMA[·····]IURATHANI
BIX[.].AN[.]O[.·····]AGIN[..]QUI.[...]
PLUSM[.]NUS
c
i
QUAELEAIACET
ii
QUILEOIACET

English translation

Translation by: J. M. Reynolds

(a): Sacred to the gods below. Aelia Arisuth lived approximately 60 years.

(b): Aelius Ma[---], ? son of Jurathan. He lived approximately [---]5 years.

(c) (i): Who lies here, a lioness; (ii): Who lies here, a lion.

Bibliography: Clermont-Ganneau, 1903b 358-361, whence AE 1904.19, CIL VIII, suppl.4, 1916, 22687, 22688; Romanelli, 1922, 21 ff., fig. 5.; IRT, 1952, 239, and Reynolds, 1955 126, whence IRT, 2009, 239, whence a and b: EDH 059210 c: EDH 033036; for BSR images see BSR Digital Collections.

Images

   Fig. 1. a: Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (Sopr. B. 89)

   Fig. 2. View: Kenrick, 2008

   Fig. 3. a: Kenrick, 2008