2.309. Funerary formula from sarcophagus

Description:
Front of a white marble garland sarcophagus (W. 2.27 × H. 0.96 × D. 0.09) damaged to the left and at the top along the edge, broken away at right. For description see Isik 100.
Text:
ll. 1-8 cut on the upper part of the front of the sarcophagus, avoiding the decorative features, except that l. 8 impinges on the upper moulding of the tabella; ll. 9-20 within the tabella. The text probably began on the lid.
Letters:
Neatly designed, cut and aligned, in the second-to-fourth-century style, without any exaggerated features, ll. 1-10, c. 0.03; ll. 11-12, c. 0.025; ligatured ΜΕ (l.6), ΝΕ (l.11), ΝΗ (ll.1, 20), ΝΤ (l.14), ΤΕ (l.4, twice), ΤΗ (l.15). Star for denarius; small slanting stroke before the figure.
Date:
Probably second to early third centuries (lettering, spelling)
Findspot:
Bouleuterion/Odeon, North Area: NE Odeon, 73c
Original Location:
Unknown
Last recorded location:
Museum
History of discovery:
Excavated by the NYU expedition in 1973 (73.266)
Bibliography:
Published by Isik and Reynolds, no. 100
Text constituted from:
Transcription (Reynolds) This edition Reynolds (2007).
1 [···]Μ̣ΙΟΑΝΕΙ̣[···]Ι̣ΕΡ̣ΑΣ[·] Ο̣ε̣σ̣ομ̣έ̣ν̣ων̣ ἐν ᾗ σορ̣ῷ̣ κ̣η̣δε̣υ̣θ̣ήσεται αὐτὸς [·· c. 12 ··]
2οὐδε vac. νὶ δὲἔξεσ vac. ται ἀπαλλο vac. τριῶσαι το vac. [ῦτο τὸ ἡ]-
3ρῶον vac. ἢ μέρ vac. ος τι ἀπ' α vac. ὐτοῦ οὐ vac. [τὲ διὰ συν]-
4χωρή vac. σεως vac. οὐτὲ δι' vac. ἑτέρας τι vac. [νος οἰκο]-
5νομίας vac. τρό vac. πῳ οὐδ vac. ενὶ οὐδ vac. ὲ ἐ[?κθάψαι]
6 τινὰ τ vac. ῶν ἐν vac. ταφησο vac. μένων ἔσ vac. τω ἀ[σεβὴς]
7 καὶ ἐπ vac. άρατος vac. καὶ τυμ vac. βορύχο vac. ς καὶ̣ [προσ]-
8ἀποτε vac. ι v. σάτω vac. ἱερὰ θεᾷ vac. Ἀφροδείτῃ vac. εἰς τε̣[ιμὰς]
9 τῶν Σεβαστῶν
10(δηνάρια) ͵Ϛ καὶ οὐδὲν ἥτ-
11τον μένει πᾶν τὸ ἡ-
12ρῶον τοῦ γένους
13 ἀνεξαλλοτριωτὸν
14 εἰς τὸν ἅπαντα χρό-
15νον τῆς ἐπιγραφῆς
16 ἀπέτεθη ἀντίγρα-
17φον εἰς τὸ χρεοφυ-
18λακιον ἐπὶ στεφα-
19νηφόρου Ὑψικλέ-
20ους τοῦ Κάστορος
1[···]·ΙΟΑΝΕ·[···]·Ε·ΑΣ[·]···Ο···Ω·ΕΝΗΣΟ····Δ···ΗΣΕΤΑΙΑΥΤΟΣ[············]
2ΟΥΔΕ   ΝΙΔΕΕΞΕΣ   ΤΑΙΑΠΑΛΛΟ   ΤΡΙΩΣΑΙΤΟ   [······]
3ΡΩΟΝ   ΗΜΕΡ   ΟΣΤΙΑΠ'Α   ΥΤΟΥΟΥ   [········]
4ΧΩΡΗ   ΣΕΩΣ   ΟΥΤΕΔΙ'   ΕΤΕΡΑΣΤΙ   [·······]
5ΝΟΜΙΑΣ   ΤΡΟ   ΠΩΟΥΔ   ΕΝΙΟΥΔ   ΕΕ[······]
6ΤΙΝΑΤ   ΩΝΕΝ   ΤΑΦΗΣΟ   ΜΕΝΩΝΕΣ   ΤΩΑ[·····]
7ΚΑΙΕΠ   ΑΡΑΤΟΣ   ΚΑΙΤΥΜ   ΒΟΡΥΧΟ   ΣΚΑ·[····]
8ΑΠΟΤΕ   Ι ΣΑΤΩ   ΙΕΡΑΘΕΑ   ΑΦΡΟΔΕΙΤΗ   ΕΙΣΤ·[····]
9ΤΩΝΣΕΒΑΣΤΩΝ
10 denarius ϚΚΑΙΟΥΔΕΝΗΤ
11ΤΟΝΜΕΝΕΙΠΑΝΤΟΗ
12ΡΩΟΝΤΟΥΓΕΝΟΥΣ
13ΑΝΕΞΑΛΛΟΤΡΙΩΤΟΝ
14ΕΙΣΤΟΝΑΠΑΝΤΑΧΡΟ
15ΝΟΝΤΗΣΕΠΙΓΡΑΦΗΣ
16ΑΠΕΤΕΘΗΑΝΤΙΓΡΑ
17ΦΟΝΕΙΣΤΟΧΡΕΟΦΥ
18ΛΑΚΙΟΝΕΠΙΣΤΕΦΑ
19ΝΗΦΟΡΟΥΥΨΙΚΛΕ
20ΟΥΣΤΟΥΚΑΣΤΟΡΟΣ
<ab>
<lb n="1" />
<gap reason="lost" extent="3" unit="character" />
<orig n="unresolved" >
<unclear reason="damage" >
μ
</unclear>
ιοανε
<unclear reason="damage" >
ι
</unclear>
</orig>
<gap reason="lost" extent="3" unit="character" />
<orig n="unresolved" >
<unclear reason="damage" >
ι
</unclear>
ε
<unclear reason="damage" >
ρ
</unclear>
ασ
</orig>
<gap reason="lost" extent="1" unit="character" />
<unclear reason="damage" >
Οεσ
</unclear>
ο
<unclear reason="damage" >
μέν
</unclear>
ω
<unclear reason="damage" >
ν
</unclear>
ἐν
ᾗ
σο
<unclear reason="damage" >
ρῷ
</unclear>
<unclear reason="damage" >
κη
</unclear>
δ
<unclear reason="damage" >
ευθ
</unclear>
ήσεται
αὐτὸς
<gap reason="lost" extent="12" unit="character" />
<lb n="2" />
οὐδε
<space extent="3" unit="character" dim="horizontal" />
νὶ
δὲ
ἔξεσ
<space extent="3" unit="character" dim="horizontal" />
ται
ἀπαλλο
<space extent="3" unit="character" dim="horizontal" />
τριῶσαι
το
<space extent="3" unit="character" dim="horizontal" />
<supplied reason="lost" >
ῦτο
</supplied>
<supplied reason="lost" >
τὸ
</supplied>
<supplied reason="lost" >
ἡ
</supplied>
<lb n="3" type="worddiv" />
ρῶον
<space extent="3" unit="character" dim="horizontal" />
ἢ
μέρ
<space extent="3" unit="character" dim="horizontal" />
ος
τι
ἀπ'
α
<space extent="3" unit="character" dim="horizontal" />
ὐτοῦ
οὐ
<space extent="3" unit="character" dim="horizontal" />
<supplied reason="lost" >
τὲ
</supplied>
<supplied reason="lost" >
διὰ
</supplied>
<supplied reason="lost" >
συν
</supplied>
<lb n="4" type="worddiv" />
χωρή
<space extent="3" unit="character" dim="horizontal" />
σεως
<space extent="3" unit="character" dim="horizontal" />
οὐτὲ
δι'
<space extent="3" unit="character" dim="horizontal" />
ἑτέρας
τι
<space extent="3" unit="character" dim="horizontal" />
<supplied reason="lost" >
νος
</supplied>
<supplied reason="lost" >
οἰκο
</supplied>
<lb n="5" type="worddiv" />
νομίας
<space extent="3" unit="character" dim="horizontal" />
τρό
<space extent="3" unit="character" dim="horizontal" />
πῳ
οὐδ
<space extent="3" unit="character" dim="horizontal" />
ενὶ
οὐδ
<space extent="3" unit="character" dim="horizontal" />
ὲ
ἐ
<supplied reason="lost" cert="low" >
κθάψαι
</supplied>
<lb n="6" />
τινὰ
τ
<space extent="3" unit="character" dim="horizontal" />
ῶν
ἐν
<space extent="3" unit="character" dim="horizontal" />
ταφησο
<space extent="3" unit="character" dim="horizontal" />
μένων
ἔσ
<space extent="3" unit="character" dim="horizontal" />
τω
ἀ
<supplied reason="lost" >
σεβὴς
</supplied>
<lb n="7" />
καὶ
ἐπ
<space extent="3" unit="character" dim="horizontal" />
άρατος
<space extent="3" unit="character" dim="horizontal" />
καὶ
τυμ
<space extent="3" unit="character" dim="horizontal" />
βορύχο
<space extent="3" unit="character" dim="horizontal" />
ς
κα
<unclear reason="damage" >
ὶ
</unclear>
<supplied reason="lost" >
προσ
</supplied>
<lb n="8" type="worddiv" />
ἀποτε
<space extent="3" unit="character" dim="horizontal" />
ι
<space extent="1" unit="character" dim="horizontal" />
σάτω
<space extent="3" unit="character" dim="horizontal" />
ἱερὰ
θεᾷ
<space extent="3" unit="character" dim="horizontal" />
Ἀφροδείτῃ
<space extent="3" unit="character" dim="horizontal" />
εἰς
τ
<unclear reason="damage" >
ε
</unclear>
<supplied reason="lost" >
ιμὰς
</supplied>
<lb n="9" />
τῶν
Σεβαστῶν
<lb n="10" />
<expan>
<abbr>
<orig >
<g type="denarius" />
</orig>
</abbr>
<supplied reason="abbreviation" >
δηνάρια
</supplied>
</expan>
<num value="6000" >
Ϛ
</num>
καὶ
οὐδὲν
ἥτ
<lb n="11" type="worddiv" />
τον
μένει
πᾶν
τὸ
ἡ
<lb n="12" type="worddiv" />
ρῶον
τοῦ
γένους
<lb n="13" />
ἀνεξαλλοτριωτὸν
<lb n="14" />
εἰς
τὸν
ἅπαντα
χρό
<lb n="15" type="worddiv" />
νον
τῆς
ἐπιγραφῆς
<lb n="16" />
ἀπέτεθη
ἀντίγρα
<lb n="17" type="worddiv" />
φον
εἰς
τὸ
χρεοφυ
<lb n="18" type="worddiv" />
λακιον
ἐπὶ
στεφα
<lb n="19" type="worddiv" />
νηφόρου
Ὑψικλέ
<lb n="20" type="worddiv" />
ους
τοῦ
Κάστορος
</ab>

Apparatus

l. 2, συγχώρησις appears in a number of funerary texts (e.g. 11.32=MAMA 537) and Cormack was probably right to restore it here, although when a verb is used παραχωρέω seems to be preferred at Aphrodisias

l. 6, ἐπεί has been inserted between the lines; it is possible that a longer formula has been omitted

Translation:

- - - ] in which sarcophagus he himself [name] shall be buried but no one shall have the right to alienate this heroon (tomb) nor any part of it either by concession or by any other procedure in any way, nor to remove anyone of those who shall be buried in it; for (whoever does so) is to be (considered) sacrilegious and accursed and a tomb-breaker and [in addition] is to pay 6000 denarii (to be) sacred to the goddess Aphrodite, with a view to (erection of) statues of the Augusti; and none the less the whole heroon of the family will remain unalienated for all time. A copy of the inscribed text was deposited in the civic archive in the stephanephorate of Hypsicles son of Castor [in the month ...]

Commentary:

This tomb, which is (or is to become) a heroon (a place for cult of the heroised dead) clearly comprised a number of burial places which may explain the comparatively large funerary fine. The sarcophagus was probably reserved for the owner since the space is rather small for another name at the end of l. 1.

The family was probably a notable one, since the text is comparatively unusual (a) in laying more stress on alienation of the tomb than on unauthorised burial or removal of bodies, but see also nos. 13.151 (=Isik 162), 11.52 (=Isik 187), 12.1108 (=MAMA 545) and 12.1107 (=MAMA 554); (b) in specifying that the fine is to provide statues of the emperors, but see also 13.156 (=MAMA 565); (c) in omitting reference to a payment to the successful prosecutor, but for another omission, partially remedied, see l. 6; (d) in introducing the concept of the heroisation of the dead, but see also 11.52 (=Isik 187) and 12.1108 (=MAMA 545).

The stephanephoros is not otherwise attested at present.

Photographs:

Face (1973)
 Face (1973)

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