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Inscriptions: Epitaph of Lupassius

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Identification

Reference as: MPL01074
Title Epitaph of Lupassius
Trismegistos-No. 415421

Object

Provenance and Location

Find Place Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium
Find Context Im Dau, Severinstraße 143-147, Chapel of the Saints Christoph, Erasmus and Sebastian, 1845.
Latitude 0.0
Longitude 0.0
Current Location Köln, Römisch-germanisches Museum Köln
Inventory number 13
Current Location Details
Vicinity

Object Details

Object Type slab
Material limestone
State of Preservation complete
Dimensions

width: 58.0 cm

height: 54.5 cm

depth: 7.0 cm

Letter Size in cm (min) 2.5
Letter Size in cm (max) 5.0
Execution Technique chiselled
Religion Unknown

Decoration

Decoration and Iconography Letters dyed in red.
Decoration Tags

Verse Layouts

  • Prose Verse PresenceVerse + Prose
    Prose Verse Distinction
    • No distinction
    Layout Types (Prose)
    • Left aligned
    Layout Types (Verse)
    • Left aligned
    Scriptio Continua in verse partno
    Abbreviations in verse partno
    Verse Line CorrespondenceNo
    Graphic Signs and Spaces for Easier Carmen Reading
    • To separate verses - Interpunctions

Text

Function funerary inscription
Language(s)
  • Latin
Verse Type(s)
  • Dactylic hexameter
Rhythmisation Quantitative scheme

Inscription & Translations


BLAN͡DAMT͡EPIETAS
MORSIN͡PIAEVN͡ERE
TRISTIABSTVLITE͡TD
VLCISRVPITNOVAGAV
5DIAVIT͡ENON͡LICVITC
VPIDOSLONGVMGAVD
EREPARENT͡ES
LVPASSIV[]PVERVIXANI(scil. DIES)ҀIII

Blan͡dam t͡e, pietas,
mors in͡pia ⸢f⸣un͡ere
tristi abstulit e͡t d-
ulcis rupit nova gau-
5dia vit͡e. Non͡licuit c-
upidos longum gaud-
ere parent͡es.
Lupassiu[s] puer vix(it) an(num) I, (scil. dies) ҁIII.

Blan͡dam t͡e, pietas, mors in͡pia ⸢f⸣un͡ere tristi
abstulit e͡t dulcis rupit nova gaudia vit͡e.
Non͡licuit cupidos longum gaudere parent͡es.
Lupassiu[s] puer vix(it) an(num) I, (scil. dies) ҁIII.
Apparatus

l.2 in͡pia orig., reg. impia | sic, orig. e
l.5 vit͡e orig., reg. vitae | Non͡licuit orig., reg. Non licuit

Text follows López Sánchez. Picture checked by Spalla 2025.
l. 5: vie, CLE. vi[ta]e, CIL; Galsterer and Galsterer 1975; Kruschwitz. vi(ta), Oenbrink.
l. 7: Lupassius, CLE. Lupassiu, Schmitz.
l. 8: dies or menses; an. I d. III, CLE. an(nos) VIIII, CIL. an(num) I s(emissem) III (menses), Galsterer and Galsterer 1975; Oenbrink; Galsterer and Galsterer 2010. an(num) I S(emissem) III, Schmitz. an(num) I S (=semissem) III, Terrien. an(num) I s(emis) III (menses), Kruschwitz.

Main Translation

Translation Wicked death has taken you in her mournful destruction, you sweet, beloved darling, and shattered all the new delights of your sweet life. Your loving parents could not be joyful for long.

The little child Lupassius lived for one year and nine months/days.
Citation Fabio Spalla

Other Translations

Prosopographical Information

  • NameLupassius
    GenderMale
    Age RangeInfant (0–12) [expression: Canonical, precision: high]
    RoleDedicatee

Further Information

Comment

Dating proposed by Schmitz. Also according to Schmitz, there is no certain criterion for the identification of the epitaph as Christian, though the formula "mors inpia" is frequently attested in Christian inscriptions. Guidelines for ordinatio are still visible.

Squeeze

Have Squeeze? no

Dating

Date (From) 301 AD
Date (To) 500 AD
Date (Criteria)
  • palaeography

Bibliography

Images

  • Epitaph of Lupassius.

    Epitaph of Lupassius.

    Source: EDCS-01200244 (c) Anja Pfeiffer

Editing History

Created 2026-08-28, by Fabio Spalla
Work Status Complete
Import Notice Imported from Epigraphische Datenbank Heidelberg at 2024-07-11T12:26:35, ID there: HD072548
Revisions
  1. by Unknown
    at 2024-07-11 12:26
  2. by Anna Pokorny
    at 2024-07-25 09:24
  3. by Anna Pokorny
    at 2025-03-31 12:16
  4. by Fabio Spalla
    at 2025-11-28 09:12
  5. by Fabio Spalla
    at 2025-11-28 09:16
  6. by Fabio Spalla
    at 2025-11-28 09:38
  7. by Chiara Cenati
    at 2025-12-02 20:43
  8. by Fabio Spalla
    at 2026-07-20 10:10
  9. by Chiara Cenati
    at 2026-07-23 08:28
  10. by Anna Martelli
    at 2026-08-28 12:33
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