ISic001853: Epitaph for Eukarpia

I.Sicily with the permission of the Assessorato Regionale dei Beni Culturali e dell’Identità Siciliana - Dipartimento dei Beni Culturali e dell’Identità Siciliana; photo J. Prag 2018-03-15
I.Sicily with the permission of the Assessorato Regionale dei Beni Culturali e dell’Identità Siciliana - Dipartimento dei Beni Culturali e dell’Identità Siciliana; photo J. Prag 2018-03-15
ID
ISic001853
Language
Ancient Greek
Status
edited
Text type
funerary
Object type
plaque

Edition

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Apparatus criticus

  • text from autopsy;
  • 1: Orsi: Ευκ[λειδ...]
  • 2: Trace of the vertical of the Τ visible at line end
  • 3: Orsi: ἔζησ[εν]
  • 4: Orsi: Θ(εοῖς) [Κ(αταγαίοις)]

Physical description

Support

Description
Fragment of a white marble plaque, intact left and above, broken on the right and below; minor chipping to the left and upper edges. The rear is finished smooth, with traces of plaster.
Object type
plaque
Object condition
fragment
Dimensions
height: 22.5 cm, width: 15 cm, depth: 2.5 cm

Material

Description
Fine to medium-grained, homogeneous, white, calcitic marble, likely Lunense. Optical microscopy: homeoblastic to heteroblastic fabric with triple points, mosaic microstructure. Digital microscopy: homeoblastic to heteroblastic fabric with triple points (identification based on pXRF, digital microscopy, XRD, optical microscopy, stable isotopes analysis)
Type > subtype
stone.marble > Lunense
Provenance
Carrara
Map

Inscription

Layout
The left side of five lines of Greek text, with an inconsistent left margin.
Text condition
incomplete
Technique
chiselled
Pigment
No data
Lettering

Somewhat crudely cut, plain letters of irregular size and without serifs. Lunate epsilon and sigma.

Letter heights
Line 1: 29-35mm
Line 2: 27-36mm
Line 3: 26-34mm
Line 4: 30mm
Line 5: 27mm
Interlinear heights
Interlineation line 1 to 2: 2-7mm
Interlineation line 2 to 3: 4-7mm
Interlineation line 3 to 4: 6mm
Interlineation line 4 to 5: 6mm

Provenance

Place of origin
Centuripae
Provenance found
Listed in the inventory as part of a lot of material acquired in 1912-07-29, and as from Centuripe. Currently in storage, magazzino B, cassette 4

Current location

Place
Siracusa, Sicilia
Repository
Museo Archeologico Regionale Paolo Orsi
33266
Autopsy
Prag 2018-09-11
Map

Date

1st — 3rd century CE (AD 1 - AD 300)
Evidence
No data

Text type

funerary

commentary

Two instances of the name Eukarpia are already attested at Centuripe (ISic000700 and ISic004363), and since it is clear from lines 2-3 that only 2-3 letters are missing on the right side, and with the Α preserved at the start of line 2, Eukarpia is almost the only plausible restoration. Given that a vacat is visible after ἔτη in line 4, and that the numeral θ (8) is would be complete for an age in years, and the layout is somewhat erratic, it is plausible that there are in fact no letters missing from the rest of lines 4 and 5. Alternatively, there might be a low age in years (single digit) followed by μῆνες (presumably abbreviated, e.g. μῆ(νες), followed then by the preserved numeral on line 5, in turn possibly followed by ἡμέρας (also abbreviated) and another numeral.

Bibliography

Digital editions
  • TM: -
  • EDR: -
  • EDH: -
  • EDCS: -
  • PHI: -
Printed editions

Citation and editorial status

Editor
Jonathan Prag
Principal contributor
Jonathan Prag
Contributors
Last revision
8/12/2025