15.347. Funerary verse for Claudia

Description:: A plain white marble masonry block without moulding (H. 0.46 × W. 0.355 x D. 0.19). Face a broken at right side; b broken on left side and below.
Text:: Inscribed on two opposite faces.
Letters:: 0.025-0.035; clear, lunate.
Date:: Fourth-sixth century (content, metre).
Findspot:: A stray find.
Original Location:: Unknown.
Last recorded location:: Museum.
History of discovery:: Brought by village children to the NYU expedition in 1970 (70.210).
Bibliography:: Published by Roueché, Aphrodisias in Late Antiquity no. 153 a and b and plate xxxvi (a only), whence McCabe PHI Aphrodisias 734, 735 Steinepigramme 02/09/28.
Text constituted from:: Transcription (Roueché). This edition Roueché (2007).

a: cross ἀντὶ φιλοξενίη̣[ς] | τε καὶ εὐσεβέων̣ | χάριν ἔργων |; Κ̣λαυδίη οἰχομ[έ]|(5)νων σε Δίκη κυ[δή]|νατο τύμβῳ |; κουριδίωι καθ̣[α]|ρὸν δὲ δέμας [συμ]|μεῖξεν ἀκοίτ̣[ῃ]; | vacat
b: [Κλα]υδίη εὐσεβί |[αισ]ιν ἀειμνήσ|[τ]οισι κομῶσα |; [ο]ὐρανὸν εἰσανό |(5)[ρ]ουσε, δέμας δέ οἱ | [ἐ]νθάδε Μοίρη |; κουριδίωι ξυνάρη |[ρε κ]αὶ οἰχομένης | [σὺν] ἀκοίτῃ |; (10) [τύμβ]ῳ ὑπ' εὐαγε|[·· ? ··

a: 1 cross ΑΝΤΙΦΙΛΟΞΕΝΙ·[·]; 2ΤΕΚΑΙΕΥΣΕΒΕΩ·; 3ΧΑΡΙΝΕΡΓΩΝ; 4·ΛΑΥΔΙΗΟΙΧΟΜ[·]; 5ΝΩΝΣΕΔΙΚΗΚΥ[··]; 6ΝΑΤΟΤΥΜΒΩ; 7ΚΟΥΡΙΔΙΩΙΚΑ·[·]; 8ΡΟΝΔΕΔΕΜΑΣ[···]; 9ΜΕΙΞΕΝΑΚΟΙ·[·]; 9a vacat
b: 1[···]ΥΔΙΗΕΥΣΕΒΙ; 2[···]ΙΝΑΕΙΜΝΗΣ; 3[·]ΟΙΣΙΚΟΜΩΣΑ; 4[·]ΥΡΑΝΟΝΕΙΣΑΝΟ; 5[·]ΟΥΣΕΔΕΜΑΣΔΕΟΙ; 6[·]ΝΘΑΔΕΜΟΙΡΗ; 7ΚΟΥΡΙΔΙΩΙΞΥΝΑΡΗ; 8[···]ΑΙΟΙΧΟΜΕΝΗΣ; 9[···]ΑΚΟΙΤΗ; 10[····]ΩΥΠ'ΕΥΑΓΕ; 11[·· ? ··

<lg>

<l >

ἀντὶ

φιλοξενί

</unclear>

</supplied>

τε

καὶ

εὐσεβέω

</unclear>

χάριν

ἔργων

</l>

<l >

</unclear>

λαυδίη

οἰχομ

έ

</supplied>

νων

σε

Δίκη

κυ

δή

</supplied>

νατο

τύμβῳ

</l>

<l >

κουριδίωι

κα

</unclear>

</supplied>

ρὸν

δὲ

δέμας

συμ

</supplied>

μεῖξεν

ἀκοί

</unclear>

ῃ

</supplied>

</l>

<l >

</l>

</lg>

</div>

<lg>

<l >

Κλα

</supplied>

υδίη

εὐσεβί

αισ

</supplied>

ιν

ἀειμνήσ

</supplied>

οισι

κομῶσα

</l>

<l >

</supplied>

ὐρανὸν

εἰσανό

</supplied>

ουσε

δέμας

δέ

οἱ

ἐ

</supplied>

νθάδε

Μοίρη

</l>

<l >

κουριδίωι

ξυνάρη

ρε

</supplied>

</supplied>

αὶ

οἰχομένης

σὺν

</supplied>

ἀκοίτῃ

</l>

<l >

τύμβ

</supplied>

ῳ

ὑπ

εὐαγε

</l>

</lg>

</div>

Apparatus

a. v. 2, κυ[δή]νατο is far from certain; although the verb is used in epigrams in this kind of construction, I know of no parallel for its use in the middle voice.

b. v. 4, [τύμβ]ῳ, while tempting, is not a certain restoration.

Translation:

a. In repayment for hospitality, and in thanks for pious works, Claudia, Justice has honoured you with (the) tomb of the dead, and has wedded your pure body (with it as a) lawful husband.

b. Claudia, who abounded in acts of piety which will ever be remembered, has rushed up to heaven, but Fate here below has joined her body, even after death, with a wedded husband, ?a tomb, ?by the pure . . .