157. Funerary verse, for Euphemia

Description

Monument: A plain white marble block (0.235 × 0.40 × 0.56), on the face of which a tabella ansata has been incised. The face is fairly worn.
Text: The date, a, is written above the tabella and down the right side, which is worn; the main text, b, is written within the tabella, with each line of verse separated by an incised line.
Letters: Av. 0.02; irregular.
Date: AD 543 or AD 558 (indiction, emperor).

Text [Font help][Conventions]

a
	βασιλεύοντος Ἰουστινιανοῦ
	ἰν-
	δ(ικτίωνος)
	ζ´
5	μη(νὸς)
	α´
	πο
	[...]
	ικ
b
	ἐνθάδε τὴν ἱερὰν κεφαλὴν γαῖα καλύπτει \|
	κούρης ᾗ τὸ πάροιθεν ἐπώνυμον \| οὔνομα κεῖτο · \|
	μήτιος εὐφήμοιο καὶ οὐκ ἑ \|(5)τέρ ' ἔπλετο φήμης \|
	εὐφυέος πινυτοῖσιν ἐφ ' ἔρ\|γμασιν αἰὲν ἐοῦσα · \|
5	ἀλλὰ θεῶν μακάρων Εὐφημία \| ἐς χορὸν ἥκοις . \|
	(10) ἐπλήρωσεν τὸν βίον Εὐφημία \| ἐτῶν ιη´ ἰνδ(ικτίωνος) [ζ´ ...] μη(νὸς) α´

Translation

a. In the reign of Justinian, the seventh indiction, the first month [...]

b. Here earth covers the sacred head of a girl who, before, had an appropriate name. She was of well-famed skill and similarly of a seemly reputation, being always (engaged) in prudent labours. But, Euphemia, may you come to the choir of the blessed gods. Euphemia completed her life at 18 years, in the [seventh] indiction [...] the first month.

Apparatus

a. It is not certain whether there are any significant traces after l.6.

b. In l.11 the missing area may well have been an original fault, since the surviving letters convey all the information that we would expect.

Photographs

Face (1973)

Representations

Photograph of squeeze

Commentary

See discussion at IX.22, and, for verse inscriptions, IX.15.

Locations

Found: Stray find.
Original: Unknown.
Last Recorded: Museum.

History

Recording: Recorded by the NYU expedition in 1966.
Bibliography: Published by Roueché, Aphrodisias in Late Antiquity no. 157 and plate xxxvii, whence PHI 732, Steinepigramme 02/09/29.
Text constituted from: Transcription (Roueché).

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