13.148. Funerary inscription for anonymous
- Description:
- White marble garland sarcophagus W. 2.06 × H. 0.68 × D. 0.77; see full description at Isik 98.
- Text:
- Inscribed on the damged front face within a panel broken away above (W. 0.265 × H. 0.185). The text must have begun above, perhaps on the lid and on the upper edge of the sarcophagus. The upper right corner of the panel has been damaged since 1904, when Gaudin's squeeze recorded more in l. 1.
- Letters:
- 0.02; ligatures: ΤΗ, l. 3
- Date:
- Probably first half of the third century A.D. (lettering).
- Findspot:
- Necropolis, North-east: 'in a field 10 min(utes) east of the (north-east) gate' (MAMA)
- Original Location:
- Unknown: necropolis
- Last recorded location:
- Museum
- History of discovery:
- Recorded by Gaudin (164); by the MAMA expedition; by the NYU expedition.
- Bibliography:
- Published from Gaudin's squeeze, Reinach, REG 19 (1906), 285, no. 182; from the MAMA records, Cormack, MAMA 8. 589, whence McCabe PHI Aphrodisias 551; Reynolds and Isik 98.
- Text constituted from:
- Publications; Gaudin's squeeze; Transcription (Reynolds) This edition Reynolds (2007).
- 0 [···]
- 1τῆ ς σοροῦ
- 2 κήδεται ἡ ἱ-
- 3ερωτάτη βου-
- 4λὴ ὡς ὑπο-
- 5γέγραπται
- 0[···]
- 1ΤΗ[·][·····]
- 2ΚΗΔΕΤΑΙΗΙ
- 3ΕΡΩΤΑΤΗΒΟΥ
- 4ΛΗΩΣΥΠΟ
- 5ΓΕΓΡΑΠΤΑΙ
Apparatus
l. 1, highlighted letters, visible on the squeeze and transliterated by Reinach, are now lost.
Translation:
- - - ] The most sacred Council has the care of the sarcophagus as has been written below.
Commentary:
The formula is unique so far at Aphrodisias, although a small number of other texts also show the city's council entrusted with protection of a tomb (e.g. 12.322=MAMA 546); it seems likely that only tombs of persons prominent in the city would be so privileged.
Despite ll.4-5 nothing was ever cut on the sarcophagus below this text; this was perhaps a phrase in the written document, deposited in the civic archive, which was copied without thought; but it is possible that the chest stood on a base which provided an additional surface for inscription.
Although lines 4-5 refer to more written below, nothing was ever inscribed on the lower part of the sarcophagus - something may have been cut on a supporting feature, or the rest of the text may never have been cut. Not many Aphrodisians claimed that their tombs were under the protection of the city council; it seems likely that only families of some eminence were so privileged, but the evidence is at present too limited to prove this.
Photographs:
- Face (1978)
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