Description:
A small white marble stele (H. 0.42 x W. 0.35 x D. 0.16) with a triangular pediment above, broken away, and a recessed central panel; The relief is of a facing gladiator with a loin guard and greaves. In his right hand he holds a palm, and the left rests on a shield, which has a helmet above it.
Text:
. Inscribed in the central panel, below the relief
Letters:
irregular, with lunate epsilon, sigma, omega, and cursive alpha.
Date:
First to fourth centuries A.D. (content)
Findspot:
Theatre Baths excavation
Original Location:
Unknown
Last recorded location:
Museum
History of discovery:
Recorded by the NYU expedition in 1974 (excavation inventory no. 74.227).
Bibliography:
Published by Roueché, PPA 43
Text constituted from:
Transcriptions (Reynolds, Roueché) This edition Roueché (2007).
1 Τροφίμη Εἰρηνί[ῳ]-
2 νι ἐσσεδαρίῳ μ̣[νεί]-
3[ας] χ̣ά̣ρ̣ι̣ν̣ vac.
1ΤΡΟΦΙΜΗΕΙΡΗΝΙ[·]
2ΝΙΕΣΣΕΔΑΡΙΩ·[···]
3[··]·····   
<ab>
<lb n="1" />
Τροφίμη
Εἰρηνί
<supplied reason="lost" >
</supplied>
<lb n="2" type="worddiv" />
νι
ἐσσεδαρίῳ
<unclear reason="damage" >
μ
</unclear>
<supplied reason="lost" >
νεί
</supplied>
<lb n="3" type="worddiv" />
<supplied reason="lost" >
ας
</supplied>
<unclear reason="damage" >
χάριν
</unclear>
<space extent="unknown" unit="character" dim="horizontal" />
</ab>

Translation:

Trophime (put up this monument) to ?Eirenion, essedarius, in memory.

Commentary:

This is clearly an epitaph, in the form described by Robert as 'the gladiator in his glory' ( Gladiateurs, 47-9); the gladiator is presented holding a palm, with his helmet and shield beside him, as in very similar reliefs illustrated by Robert (Gladiateurs, 301, pl. xx; 119, pl. xxiii).

Trophime, who put up this epitaph, was presumably the wife of the man commemorated (for many other examples of such epitaphs see Gladiateurs, 43-4, with another Trophime, 227 no. 292). The essedarius fought from a chariot (Lafaye, 'Gladiator', 1588, no.8).

Photographs:

Face (1978)
 Face (1978)

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