11.1. Funerary inscription for Theseus
- Description:
- ?White marblesarcophagus front: 'Marble slab with incised panel, broken on right and chipped below' (W. 0.515 x H. 0.185 x no depth given) (MAMA)
- Text:
- Inscribed on the face.
- Letters:
- 0.01-0.0175
- Date:
- No indication
- Findspot:
- City, Village; 'In a garden wall' MAMA'
- Original Location:
- Unknown
- Last recorded location:
- Findspot
- History of discovery:
- Recorded by the MAMA expedition; not reported subsequently
- Bibliography:
- Published by Cormack from the MAMA records, MAMA 8, no. 569, whence Hellenica 13, 184-192, McCabe PHI Aphrodisias 398 , BE 1966.409, Steinepigramme 02/09/32
- Text constituted from:
- Publications This edition Roueché and Bodard (2007).
- 1 Θησσεὺς κτηνείτης ὁ λαλούμενος ἐνθ[ά]-
- 2δε κεῖται ὅς πάσης ἀρετῆς ὢν ἀκροδικαι-
- 3ότερος ὦ παροδεῖτα μή με παρέλ̣-
- 4θῃς πρίν σε μαθεῖν στήλης τὰ γε-
- 5γραμμένα ὡς ζῇς εὐφραίνου ἔσθιε
- 6 πεῖνε τρύφα περιλάμβανε τοῦτο γὰρ
- 7 ἦν τὸ τέλος [···] χ̣ρησάμενος [···]
- 1ΘΗΣΣΕΥΣΚΤΗΝΕΙΤΗΣΟΛΑΛΟΥΜΕΝΟΣΕΝΘ[·]
- 2ΔΕΚΕΙΤΑΙΟΣΠΑΣΗΣΑΡΕΤΗΣΩΝΑΚΡΟΔΙΚΑΙ
- 3ΟΤΕΡΟΣΩΠΑΡΟΔΕΙΤΑΜΗΜΕΠΑΡΕ·
- 4ΘΗΣΠΡΙΝΣΕΜΑΘΕΙΝΣΤΗΛΗΣΤΑΓΕ
- 5ΓΡΑΜΜΕΝΑΩΣΖΗΣΕΥΦΡΑΙΝΟΥΕΣΘΙΕ
- 6ΠΕΙΝΕΤΡΥΦΑΠΕΡΙΛΑΜΒΑΝΕΤΟΥΤΟΓΑΡ
- 7ΗΝΤΟΤΕΛΟΣ[···]·ΡΗΣΑΜΕΝΟΣ[···]
Translation:
Theseus the ostler, much-talked of, lies here, who, being a man of every virtue, was most particularly just. Oh passerby, do not pass me by before you have learnt what is written on the stele. Make merry, eat, drink, get possession of luxuries; for this (the tomb) was the end ...]
Commentary:
Robert discussed this text at some length (Hellenica 13, 184-192). He showed that the term κτηνείτης refers to a man in charge of beasts of burden or pack-animals - so 'ostler' gives the best sense (189-92). He suggested that ὁ λαλούμενος should be read as 'popular', with perhaps a pun on the famous name of the deceased; perhaps also his job made him 'well-known'. He pointed out (184-5) that ἀκροδικαιότερος is unparalleled, and is the comparative of a rare adjective, which does occur occasionally in Christian authors; perhaps it refers here to a virtue which Theseus showed in his business dealings, and which was unusual in such a man. For the rest, Robert showed that the terminology is paralleled in many other funerary texts (185-189)
- Photographs:
- none.
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