ISic001279: Edict of Flavius Felix Eumathus regarding the Thermae Achillianae

I.Sicily with the permission of the Assessorato Regionale dei Beni Culturali e dell’Identità Siciliana - Dipartimento dei Beni Culturali e dell’Identità Siciliana
ID
ISic001279
Language
Ancient Greek
Text type
building
Object type
plaque
Status
No data
Links
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Edition

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Apparatus criticus

  • Text of Korhonen

Physical description

Support

Description
A very wide text laid out across multiple marble slabs of differing widths, of which 8 pieces are preserved (originally 6, but two have become further fragmented over time). The slabs were most likely displayed on the facade of the building to which they relate.
Object type
plaque
Material
marble
Condition
No data
Dimensions
height: 29.5-30.3 cmwidth: greater than 469.1 cmdepth: 2.3-4.9 cm

Inscription

Layout
Greek text over four lines. The fourth line is shorter than the other three and ends with a vacat. The letters are broadly regular and neatly cut, but the sizing and spacing varies considerably across the four lines.
Text condition
No data
Lettering

Letter heights
Line 1-4: 44-62mm
Interlinear heights
Lines 1-4: 9-27mm

Provenance

Place of origin
Catina
Provenance found
Found c.1702 in the remains of the baths situated under the west end of the Duomo of Catania
Map

Current location

Place
Catania, Italy
Repository
Museo Civico di Catania , 265
Autopsy
Display, Voci di pietra no.9
Map

Date

434 CE (reporting an edict from the consuls of 433) (AD 434 – AD 434)
Evidence
internal-date

Text type

building

commentary

The word πήσας is a hapax. It is plausibly explained by Manganaro (1958-1959: 28 n.94) as being a calque in Greek of the Latin word pensum, signifying a weight of a fixed quantity. Manganaro additionally observes that in Sicilian dialect the word 'pisa' signifies a specific weight (4 kg) of flour or salt, and suggests that in this text a 'pesa' would be a cord of wood of approx. 5 kg.

The word εὐκαθωσιώτου is also rare: as demonstrated by Manganaro and Korhonen it appears to be a synonym for καθοσιωμένος equivalent to devotissimus.

Bibliography

Digital editions
Printed editions

Citation and editorial status

Editor
Jonathan Prag
Principal contributor
Jonathan Prag
Contributors
Last revision
1/19/2021