ISic001851: Epitaph for Seilba[--]
Edition
Apparatus criticus
- text from autopsy;
- 2: Orsi: ΣΗ; it is unlikely there is any text missing from the rest of line 2.
- 3: Orsi: ΣΕΙΑΒΛ[---];The space after Α probably reflects the increasing spacing of the letters to fill the line, rather than an actual vacat; the cross bar of the alpha is visible on the break
Physical description
Support
- Description
- Fragment of a white marble plaque, intact on the left but broken on the other three sides. The rear is finished smooth.
- Object type
- plaque
- Object condition
- fragment
- Dimensions
- height: 12.3 cm, width: 18.2 cm, depth: 2.5-3.3 cm
Material
- Description
- Fine-grained, homogeneous, white, calcitic marble, likely Parian-1, Ephesian_white. Optical microscopy: heteroblastic to homeoblastic fabric with triple points, mosaic microstructure. Digital microscopy: heteroblastic to homeoblastic fabric. no overlap in isotopes but mgs has no match (identification based on pXRF, digital microscopy, XRD, optical microscopy, stable isotopes analysis, EPR, LA-ICP-MS)
- Type > subtype
- stone.marble > Parian-1,Ephesian_white
Inscription
- Layout
- Remains of four lines of Greek letters, set within guidelines, which provide a border above and below each line, ignored by the letters of line 2. Consistent left margin, except for line 2 which may have been centred.
- Text condition
- incomplete
- Technique
- chiselled
- Pigment
- No data
- Lettering
Very regular v-cut letters with terminal serifs. Alpha with straight bar; quadrate epsilon, equal horizontals; standard sigma.
- Letter heights
- Line 1-3: 22-26mm
- Interlinear heights
- Interlineation line 1 to 2: mm
Provenance
- Place of origin
- Centuripae
- Provenance found
- Part of material seized by the local inspector, L. Scavone-Campagna, in March 1912, found in illegal excavations in contrada Difesa, above 'fondo Casino'.
Current location
- Place
- Siracusa, Sicilia
- Repository
- Museo Archeologico Regionale Paolo Orsi
- 33026
- Autopsy
- Prag 2016-06-29
- Map
Date
1st — 3rd century CE (AD 1 - AD 300)- Evidence
- No data
Text type
commentary
It seems likely that approximately 2/3 of the width of the stone is preserved, with room for 3-4 letters in the missing right portion - this is suggested most directly by lines 1-2, where the only word missing must be ἔτη, followed by the age in line 2 which has apparently been centred. Missing from the top of the stone would be the name of the deceased, followed most likely by χρηστέ χαῖρε (cf. e.g. ISic001397). In line 3, the presence of a name, followed in line 4 by the beginnings of χρηστέ implies that we have a second epitaph, rather than a record of the person who was responsible for the initial epitaph. Σειλβα[---] is probably a Greek transliteration of the Latin name Silvanus, which may or may not have here been written in the vocative.
Bibliography
- Digital editions
- TM: -
- EDR: -
- EDH: -
- EDCS: -
- PHI: -
- Printed editions
Citation and editorial status
- Editor
- Jonathan Prag
- Principal contributor
- Jonathan Prag
- Contributors
- Last revision
- 8/7/2025