ISic000425: Funerary inscription for L. Caiat[---] Argy[---]

I.Sicily with the permission of the Assessorato Regionale dei Beni Culturali e dell’Identità Siciliana - Dipartimento dei Beni Culturali e dell’Identità Siciliana; photo J. Prag 2026-09-16

ID: ISic000425
Status: edited
Language: Latin
Object type: plaque
Text type: funerary

Edition

Apparatus criticus

Text from autopsy

Physical description

Support

Description: Large fragment of a thick slab of white marble. Seemingly intact on left (but chipped/damaged) and lower edge; broken across top and on the right. Lower edge is cut back from the front face. Rear is finished smooth.
Object type: plaque
Object condition: fragment
Dimensions: height: 21.5 cm, width: 25.5 cm, depth: 3.7 (base) - 4.3 (top) cm

Material

Description: marble
Type > subtype: stone.unspecified > unspecified

Inscription

Layout: Parts of three lines of large Latin letters, decreasing in height from top to bottom.
Text condition: incomplete
Technique: chiselled
Pigment: rubrication, red
Lettering: Large, reasonably wide module, v-cut letters, very regular, with simple and consistent standard serifs; tear-drop shaped interpuncts. The letters bear paint, brown/red in colour, unclear if original or modern.
Letter heights: Line 1: mm
Interlinear heights: Interlineation line 1 to 2: mm

Provenance

Place of origin: Syracusae
Provenance found: Reported by Capodieci (1749-1828) as in the possession of Fransciso Serra (so Mommsen, from manuscript).

Current location

Place: Siracusa, Sicilia
Repository: Museo Archeologico Regionale Paolo Orsi; 242
Autopsy: Prag 2026-09-16, magazzino B, Museo arch. reg. P.Orsi, Siracusa
Map

Date

First century CE (CE 1 - CE 100)

Evidence: lettering

Text type

funerary

commentary

The nomen could be Caiatius or Caiatinus (from Latium). The nomen is most likely Argyrus (or a variant thereof), although Argynnus is also attested. It seems likely not much is actually lost, with the nomen centred and 'annos' abbreviated and the age following.

Bibliography

Digital editions

TM: 491653
EDR: -
EDH: -
EDCS: 21900487
PHI: -

Printed editions

T. Mommsen, Inscriptiones Bruttiorum Lucaniae Campaniae Siciliae Sardiniae Latinae. Pars posterior. Inscriptiones Siciliae et Sardiniae, Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum, consilio et auctoritate Academiae Litterarum Regiae Borussicae editum, 10.2 (Berlin: G. Reimer, 1883), at 7145

Citation and editorial status

Editor

Jonathan Prag

Principal contributor

Jonathan Prag

Contributors

Last revision

9/22/2026

License

Commons CC-BY 4.0