ISic003263: Fragmentary funerary inscription of Marcus Vipsanius Phoebus

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
ISic003263
Language
Ancient Greek
Text type
funerary
Object type
plaque
Status
No data
Links
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Edition

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Apparatus criticus

Physical description

Support

Description
No data
Object type
plaque
Material
marble
Condition
No data
Dimensions
height: 30.5 cm, width: 40 cm, depth: 4 cm

Inscription

Layout
No data
Text condition
No data
Letter heights
Line 1: 25-40mm
Interlinear heights
Interlineation line 1 to 2: mm

Provenance

Place of origin
Catina
Provenance found
The provenance is unknown, but its early presence in the civic collection and the name Vipsanius suggest that it is probably from Catania.

Current location

Place
Catania, Italy
Repository
Museo Civico di Catania , 232
Autopsy
Display, Voci di pietra no.24
Map

Date

2nd century CE (?) (AD 101 – AD 200)
Evidence
No data

Text type

funerary

commentary

The style of the inscription is quite particular, with variety in letter forms (e.g. the change in the letter E), the frequent use of ligatures (letters joined together), and hedera (ivy leaves) to separate words. Although written in Greek, the text echoes Latin practices, such as the abbreviation Θ Κ (= D M) and also the abbreviation of the Latin praenomen. The spelling of Vipsanius as Beipsanios reflects the common practice from at least the first century AD of transcribing the Latin v as Greek β (although the precise phonetic sound of both letters at this date remains uncertain). On the name Vipsanius, see ISic000383 (inv. no.350).

Bibliography

Digital editions
Printed editions

Citation and editorial status

Editor
Jonathan Prag
Principal contributor
Jonathan Prag
Contributors
Last revision
1/19/2021