ISic003161: Fragment of an epitaph

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 2014-09-09
ID
ISic003161
Language
Ancient Greek
Text type
funerary
Object type
plaque
Status
edited
Links
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Edition

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Apparatus criticus

  • Text from autopsy ;
  • 2-3: Gentili: Φηλη-|[κί]ων κὲ; the reading adopted here suggested by Tod in SEG

Physical description

Support

Description
Two fragments, rejoined, of a marble plaque, off-white with pink veining. Appears intact at top and right, but broken below and to the left.
Object type
plaque
Material
marble
Object condition
fragments, contiguous
Dimensions
height: 13.2 cmwidth: 16.2 cmdepth: 2.1-2.3 cm

Inscription

Layout
Remains of four lines of Greek letters, falling off slightly to the right.
Text condition
incomplete
Technique
chiselled
Pigment
No data
Lettering

Lunate letters, somewhat irregular in height / layout, deeply carved.

Letter heights
Line 1-4: 10-20mm
Interlinear heights
Interlineation line 1 to 2: mm

Provenance

Place of origin
Syracusae
Provenance found
Found during excavations in advance of construction of an appartment block, at 38-40Via G. Testaferrata, in 1950
Map

Current location

Place
Siracusa, Italy
Repository
Museo Archeologico Regionale Paolo Orsi , 53167
Autopsy
Prag, 2014-09
Map

Date

4th century CE (dating of Gentili by palaeography); the archaeological context was unstratified, including material from classical to Roman. (AD 301 - AD 400)
Evidence
lettering

Text type

funerary

commentary

The presence of a supraline above the letters ΚΕ in line 3 very strongly suggests a numeral, and not κε for και, since κε is not an abbreviation, which would be the only other purpose of the supraline. The resolution of the name Φηλη- is uncertain.

Bibliography

Digital editions
Printed editions

Citation and editorial status

Editor
Jonathan Prag
Principal contributor
Jonathan Prag
Contributors
Last revision
11/20/2025