ISic004382: Epitaph erected by Sossis for his wife Rufina Marcia

Photo courtesy of archivio fotografico della soprintendenza di Messina
ID
ISic004382
Language
Ancient Greek
Text type
funerary
Object type
plaque
Status
draft
Links
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Edition

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Apparatus criticus

  • Text after Zavettieri 2017 and photograph

Physical description

Support

Description
A rectangular tablet of white marble (a small fragment on the middle lower margin has been reattached) with minor chipping to the upper and right edges. The rear is smooth.
Object type
plaque
Material
marble
Object condition
No data
Dimensions
height: 20 cm, width: 31 cm, depth: 3.6 cm

Inscription

Layout
Five lines of Greek letters, unevenly set out and unevenly spaced (the first line is set apart by a larger gap from the remaining lines); a left margin is more or less observed.
Text condition
No data
Technique
chiselled
Pigment
No data
Lettering

Lunate Greek letters, tending towards cursive in some cases, and reducing in size in the final lines. Moderately regularly and quite deeply incised with terminal serifs to the strokes. Alpha and Lambda extend the top of the right hasta. Alpha is closed lower left in the cursive style. Epsilon and sigma are lunate. Eta and pi have the same form (standard pi). Mu is cursive. Phi is significantly taller than other letters. Numerals are marked by supraline.

Letter heights
Lines 1-5: 17mm
Interlinear heights
Interlineation line 1 to 2: mm

Provenance

Place of origin
Messana
Provenance found
Recovered from demolition of a C19 house on via Quod Quaeris, Messina, and therefore presumed to come from the 'northern' necropolis
Map

Current location

Place
Messina, Italy
Repository
, ME 22800
Autopsy
in store

Date

2nd — 3rd century CE (AD 201 - AD 300)
Evidence
No data

Text type

funerary

commentary

Cf. ISic003521 for another female member of the gens Marcia in Messina. The rare name Sossis is also attested at Catania in ISic001324

Bibliography

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

Citation and editorial status

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