ISic001872: Funerary inscription for Mousa

I.Sicily with the permission of the Parco archeologico e paesaggistico di Siracusa, Eloro, Villa del Tellaro e Akrai, and the Assessorato Regionale dei Beni Culturali e dell’Identità Siciliana - Dipartimento dei Beni Culturali e dell’Identità Siciliana; photo J. Prag 2022-04-29.
ID
ISic001872
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 from autopsy;
  • 4: Orsi: ΧΑΙΡΕ · ΕΖΗ
  • 5: lapis: ΜΗΝϹϹ

Physical description

Support

Description
A large rectangular slab of the local yellowish limestone. Intact on all sides, with traces of plaster around the outer edges of the front face, suggesting it was mounted in a wall at some point. Uncertain whether it was always a distinct slab, or was sawn out of the rock on discovery, though the former seems more likely. The rear is rough and unfinished. The front face is arranged into three distinct panels, with three distinct inscriptions. The central text is inset in a panel, which is framed by relief carved columns and a tympanum, which are however incomplete: the column on the left is lightly delineated in relief, with the mouldings below the capital detailed, but the capital itself not detailed; the central area of the tympanum is recessed, but the rest of the pediment only marked out by incised lines; the right column is likewise only marked by incised lines, but faint lines tracing a Corinthian capital are visible. The texts to the left and right, are aligned with this via grid lines. Although broadly similar, there are notable stylistic differences between all three texts, suggesting different masons, and potentially separate moments of carving, and for that reason they are here recorded as separate texts. This is the central text. Same support as and
Object type
plaque
Material
limestone
Condition
No data
Dimensions
height: 35.5-36.5 cm, width: 84.5-85 cm, depth: 9 cm

Inscription

Layout
Text over six lines, set in a recessed panel in the style of a temple facade, but without guidelines. Some use of interpuncts and vacats in the text.
Text condition
No data
Lettering

Letter heights
Line 1: 25-31mm
Line 2: 20-22mm
Line 3: 19-25mm
Line 4: 19-25mm
Line 5: 19-21mm
Line 6: 20-21mm
Interlinear heights
Interlineation line 1 to 2: mm

Provenance

Place of origin
Syracusae
Provenance found
Purchased by the Siracusa museum on 05.02.1895, said to come from the Grotticelli necropolis / Teracati
Map

Current location

Place
Siracusa, Italy
Repository
Museo Archeologico Regionale Paolo Orsi , 15083
Autopsy
Prag 2022-04-28, Magazzino B, Museo Archeologico Regionale Paolo Orsi, Siracusa
Map

Date

Roman imperial in date (AD 100 – AD 300)
Evidence
lettering

Text type

funerary

commentary

The name Mousa is well attested in southern Italy, but rarely in Sicily (at Aitna, Syracusae and Tauromenium). There is no clear basis for determining the potential relationship between Kopria, Mousa and Gamike, except that it seems likely that Mousa was the child of one of the other two. See also ISic001871 and ISic001873.

Bibliography

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

Citation and editorial status

Editor
Jonathan Prag
Principal contributor
Jonathan Prag
Contributors
Last revision
4/24/2024