ISic000909: Epitaph of Daphros

Photo Museo Arch. Reg. P. Orsi (2012), Aut. Assessorato Beni Culturali Regione Siciliana n.10681 del 06/05/2014
ID
ISic000909
Language
Ancient Greek
Text type
funerary
Object type
plaque
Status
No data
Links
View in current site

Edition

Loading...

Apparatus criticus

  • Text after Orsi and photograph ;
  • line.1: Carini, Kaibel: ΔΑΦΡΟΕ

Physical description

Support

Description
A marble plaque, damaged / roughly cut on all sides, but seemingly inscribed subsequent to any such cutting.
Object type
plaque
Material
marble
Condition
damaged
Dimensions
height: 17 cmwidth: 22 cmdepth: cm

Inscription

Layout
Text on two lines, with final letter of line 1 squeezed in small before the broken edge of the stone; two birds and christian monograms fill the space below.
Text condition
complete
Lettering

Letter heights
Line 1: mm
Interlinear heights
Interlineation line 1 to 2: mm

Provenance

Place of origin
Syracusae
Provenance found
Found during exploration of the (Rotonda di Adelfia) in June 1872
Map

Current location

Place
Siracusa, Italy
Repository
Museo Archeologico Regionale Paolo Orsi , 47
Autopsy
None
Map

Date

4th — 5th century CE (AD 301 – AD 500)
Evidence
No data

Text type

funerary

commentary

The form Daphros is not otherwise attested, and Kaibel speculates that Daphnos was intended (although Kaibel, following Carini, actually read Daphroe, which is also unparalleled). The combination of sigma, staurogram, omega between the two doves in the third line presumably signifies 'soter', 'saviour'. Kaibel simply reproduces Carini's text, without included reference to the symbols on the stone, which Carini did report (overleaf on p.34). Orsi transcribed the text and its symbols accurately in his taccuini in 1888.

Bibliography

Digital editions
Printed editions

Citation and editorial status

Editor
Jonathan Prag
Principal contributor
Jonathan Prag
Contributors
Last revision
4/7/2022