ISic001316: Epitaph for Bipsanios Zosimos

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
ISic001316
Language
Ancient Greek
Text type
funerary
Object type
plaque
Status
draft
Links
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Edition

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Apparatus criticus

  • Text based on photographs ;
  • line.3: Ferrara, Bertucci: ΚΑΛΕΣΩΣΗΛΕ (sic)
  • line.4: Torremuzza, Ferrara, Franz: καίρε lapis
  • line.5: Ferrara, Bertucci: παροδώιτα (sic)

Physical description

Support

Description
Two joining fragments of a marble plaque, set in plaster in modern times.
Object type
plaque
Material
marble
Object condition
fragments, contiguous
Dimensions
height: 22.5 cm, width: 23.5 cm, depth: 1-6 cm

Inscription

Layout
No data
Text condition
No data
Technique
chiselled
Pigment
No data
Lettering

Α with a broken bar, lunate Ε and Σ, cursive M (at l. 2) and Ω, Ψ with a long upright. The cross bar of Η is formed decoratively. Interpuncts at ll. 1, 3 and 4, two ivy leaves at l. 4. Letters at ll. 4 and 5 are slightly larger and separated from the others by a larger space.

Letter heights
Lines 1-5: 18-30mm
Interlinear heights
Interlineation line 1 to 2: not recordedmm

Provenance

Place of origin
Catina
Provenance found
Assumed to be from Catania. According to Korhonen, the inscription is not urban since it is not registered in the codex Marucellianus A 77.

Current location

Place
Catania, Italy
Repository
Museo Civico di Catania , 298
Autopsy
Observed by Kaibel in Museo del Monastero di San Nicolò l’Arena, later by Korhonen in magazzino del Cortile, Collezione dei Benedettini, formerly sala VI, 106.
Map

Date

Mid-1st century — end 2nd century CE (AD 51 - AD 200)
Evidence
No data

Text type

funerary

commentary

The epitaph has the traditional structure with the name of the deceased and the indication of the age, with the participle of the verb ζάω. The gentilicium Vipsanius recurs in three inscriptions from Catania: IG 14.495 = ISic001317 (Βειψάνιος Ζώτικος), IMusCatania 146 = ISic003263 (Μ(ᾶρκος) Βειψάνιος Φοῖβος) and CIL 10.7101 = ISic000383 (Vipsanius Atticus). The final address to the passerby has no parallel in the inscriptions of Catania, even if a reference to the passerby is found in the epigram to Rodogoune (IG 14.499 l. 1 = ISic001320 l. 1): especially in this form, παροδεῖτα, it is frequent in funerary epigrams, whereas the greeting to the passerby can be found in Sicily in SEG 38:922 = ISic003078 (Akragas) (and in the antiquarian forgery SEG 52:905 = ISic003560(Trapani)).

Bibliography

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Discussion

Citation and editorial status

Editor
Jonathan Prag
Principal contributor
Jonathan Prag
Contributors
Last revision
11/5/2025