ISic001306: Epitaph for Kassia Benousta

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
ISic001306
Language
Ancient Greek
Text type
funerary
Object type
plaque
Status
No data
Links
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Edition

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Apparatus criticus

  • Text based on photographs;
  • line.5: Kaibel saw an ivy leaf at the end of the line, but it rather seems to be a triangle-shaped interpunct.

Physical description

Support

Description
Marble plaque set in plaster in modern times.
Object type
plaque
Material
marble
Condition
damaged
Dimensions
height: 20 cmwidth: 27.5 cmdepth: 0.5-4 cm

Inscription

Layout
No data
Text condition
complete
Lettering

Letter heights
Lines 1-6: 20-25 mm
Interlinear heights
Interlineation line 1 to 2: not registeredmm

Provenance

Place of origin
Catina
Provenance found
Original discovery not recorded, probably from Catania..

Current location

Place
Catania, Italy
Repository
Museo Civico di Catania , 242
Autopsy
Observed by Kaibel in Museo dei Benedettini, later by Korhonen in magazzino del cortile, Collezione dei Benedettini (formerly sala VI.50)
Map

Date

Second half of 1st — end 2nd century CE (AD 50 – AD 200)
Evidence
No data

Text type

funerary

commentary

The structure of the epitaph is the most frequent in pagan epitaphs, with the invocation to the underworld spirits, the name of the deceased in the nominative form, his/her age, the name of the dedicants (in this case, the parents) and the dedication verb in aorist (Korhonen 2004: 85-86). An interesting linguistic detail is the indication of months and days in the nominative and not in the accusative form (μῆνες, ἡμέρες), which seems to be due to confusion with Latin where the nominative and accusative plural of mensis and dies correspond: for a similar confusion, see also SEG 44.0762 = ISic000641. On the name Βενοῦστα, see SEG 29.931-3 (from Morgantina, 1st century CE). Note too the spelling out of the first numeral in full, rather than using the standard alphabetic notation.

Bibliography

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Discussion

Citation and editorial status

Editor
Jonathan Prag
Principal contributor
Jonathan Prag
Contributors
Last revision
5/18/2022