ISic003289: 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
ID
ISic003289
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 based on photograph;
  • line.1: Korhonen: [---]ZIEIAΔΣIIΛIII[---]
  • line.2: Libertini: υἱὸς Ἰσιδώρ(ας); Korhonen ET(---) M υἱός, Ἰσιδώρα +[---]. The small curved sign at the upper right of Τ could be an abbreviation for ων (see l. 4): ἐτ(ῶν) and the small sign above the Μ could indicate the numeral
  • line.3: Libertini: ἐτέθει δὲ καὶ Ἰσιδώρα; Korhonen: [κατ].τέθει (i.e. κατετέθη) δὲ καὶ Ἰσιδώ[ρ-]
  • line.4: According to Korhonen the first letter could also be a Κ. The small curved sign above the T and the N could be an abbreviation for ων (τ(ῶν) Καταν(ῶν), i.e. τῶν Καταν(αίων), see also Korhonen)

Physical description

Support

Description
Two joining fragments of marble plaque damaged on all sides.
Object type
plaque
Material
marble
Condition
fragments, contiguous
Dimensions
height: 19 cmwidth: 31 cmdepth: 4.3 cm

Inscription

Layout
No data
Text condition
No data
Lettering

Letter heights
Lines 1-4: 33-37mm
Interlinear heights
Interlineation line 1 to 2: not recordedmm

Provenance

Place of origin
Catina
Provenance found
Original discovery not recorded, but probably from Catania; Tardìa, Cod. Bibl. Comunale Palermo Qq C 17 a, f. 136r mentions the inscription as coming from Catania, communicated to him by Torremuzza 21 November 1766.

Current location

Place
Catania, Italy
Repository
Museo Civico di Catania , 644
Autopsy
Observed by Libertini in Museo Biscari, later by Korhonen in Magazzino superiore, Collezione Biscari (formerly sala VII 288).
Map

Date

6th — 9 century CE (AD 501 – AD 900)
Evidence
No data

Text type

funerary

commentary

The epitaph is very fragmentary and the several abbreviations make it difficult to read. Palaeography suggests a date to the first Byzantine era. The text must have been an epitaph as suggested by the verb [---κατ]ετέθει (i.e. κατετέθη) at l. 3, which is used to indicate the act of burial. At l. 2 and l. 3 the female name Ἰσιδώρα can be read (but, as Korhonen points out, the second mention could also have been the masculine name Ἰσιδώρος), while at l. 4 the reading τ(ῶν) Καταν(ῶν) (i.e. τῶν Καταναίων) is likely and connects this inscription the city of Catania.

Bibliography

Digital editions
Printed editions

Citation and editorial status

Editor
Jonathan Prag
Principal contributor
Jonathan Prag
Contributors
Last revision
12/22/2022