ISic001155: Funerary inscription for Gaios Seios Ptolemaios

Photo J. Prag, courtesy Museo civico di Termini Imerese
ID
ISic001155
Language
Ancient Greek
Text type
funerary
Object type
plaque
Status
No data
Links
View in current site

Edition

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Apparatus criticus

  • Text from autopsy

Physical description

Support

Description
Rectangular plaque of grey stone, carved to create a tabula ansata in relief. Very straight sides with no visible cuts or breaks and the text is complete. The front face is cut back from the original surface, to create a tabula ansata, but only the right 'handle' of the tabula is preserved, along with the central field for the text. The lack of the left 'handle' and the presence of a possible bracket hole on top, suggest another block was placed on the left. Front face is clean, but with slight blackened discolouration at the beginnings of lines 3-4. Rear is flat but for curved eges on each corner.
Object type
plaque
Material
stone (grey)
Condition
No data
Dimensions
height: 17 cmwidth: 48.5 cmdepth: 9.5 (at middle) cm

Inscription

Layout
Four lines of Ancient Greek text. Text is contained within right side of tabula ansata. Text is centred on stone.
Text condition
No data
Lettering

Letter heights
Line 1: 33mm
Line 2: 29-33mm
Lines 3-4: 33-38mm
Interlinear heights
Interlineation line 1 to 2: mm

Provenance

Place of origin
Thermae Himeraeae
Provenance found
The place, date, and circumstances of the discovery are unknown, but the piece is assumed to come from Termini Imerese

Current location

Place
Termini Imerese, Italy
Repository
Museo Civico Baldassare Romano , 158
Autopsy
Antoniou, 2022-07-06. On display in Museo Civico Baldassare Romano
Map

Date

2nd century BCE or 1st century CE (200 BC – AD 100)
Evidence
No data

Text type

funerary

commentary

Gaios and Seios derive from the Latin praenomen Gaius and nomen Seius. Gaius is very common, and Seius is well-attested in Sicily, beginning in the first century CE (see RPC 1.670 and ISic000539). As argued by Brugnone (1974) Samareus is an ethnic, cf. Roberts (1969 no.369). Brugnone (1974) also suggests that the connection between the name Ptolemy and Samaria is not surprising, as Ptolemaic Egypt had an interest in Samaria.

Bibliography

Digital editions
Printed editions

Citation and editorial status

Editor
Jonathan Prag
Principal contributor
Jonathan Prag
Contributors
Last revision
8/21/2023