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Inscriptions: Epitaph of the alumna Xanthippe by her adoptive father

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Identification

Reference as: MPL01283
Title Epitaph of the alumna Xanthippe by her adoptive father
Trismegistos-No. 244412

Object

Provenance and Location

Find Place Parma
Find Context Parma, church of San Moderanno.
Latitude 0.0
Longitude 0.0
Current Location Parma, Museo Archeologico Nazionale
Inventory number 1481
Current Location Details In the National Archaeological Museum since 1838.
Vicinity

Object Details

Object Type slab
Material marble
State of Preservation complete
Dimensions

width: 82.5 cm

height: 130.5 cm

depth: 6.0 cm

Letter Size in cm (min) 6.3
Letter Size in cm (max) 2.0
Execution Technique chiselled
Religion Pagan

Decoration

Decoration and Iconography
Decoration Tags

Verse Layouts

  • Prose Verse PresencePraescriptum + carmen
    Prose Verse Distinction
    • Yes, by bigger lettering in prose
    • Yes, by vacat
    Layout Types (Prose)
    • Centered
    Layout Types (Verse)
    • Centered
    Scriptio Continua in verse partno
    Abbreviations in verse partno
    Verse Line CorrespondenceYes, achieved by smaller letters towards the end of the line
    Graphic Signs and Spaces for Easier Carmen Reading
    • To separate words - Interpunction

Text

Function funerary inscription
Language(s)
  • Latin
Verse Type(s)
  • Iambic senarius
Rhythmisation Quantitative scheme

Inscription & Translations

DM
XANTIPPESSIVEIAIA͡E
CCASSIVSLVCILIANVS
ALVMNAEDVLCISSI͡M͡AE
     vacat

5SEVMORTISMISERETSEVTEVITAEPERLIGE:
NOMENXANTHIPPEIAIAEAEDEMLVD`I´CRO
QVOTEXSPRIMENSDOLOREFVGITA͡NIMACORPOR͡E
HICCONQVIESCITCVNISTERRAEMOLLI͡BVS
QVAMTRINOANNORVMFILOPROTEREN͡TIA
10NOVEMPOSTMENSVMEATACO[]ICIV͡N͡TMA͡LO
LVESIGNITATORRETVLTRAQV[]`I´ES
VENVSTAAMOENAINTE[]RRVLA
QVAMSIQVAPIETASINSITA[]IBVS
VIVENTIINGENIOSOLIETLV[]EDDITE
15ALTORISMEMOREMQVEMPAREN͡T͡ESDIXERAN͡T
CVMPRIMVMNATVSTLVCILIANV͡M
CASSIVM
D(is) M(anibus)
Xantippes sive Iaia͡e.
C(aius) Cassius Lucilianus
alumnae dulcissi͡m͡ae.
( vac. )

5Seu mortis miseret, seu te vitae, perlige:
nomen Xanthippe, Iaia eaedem lud`i´cro.
Quot ex{s}primens dolore fugit a͡nima corpor͡e,
hic conquiescit cunis terrae molli͡bus,
quam trino annorum filo proteren͡tia
10novem post mensum ⸢f⸣ata co[nf]iciu͡n͡t ma͡lo.
Lues ignita torret ultra qu[ot d]`i´es,
venusta amoena inteḷ[legens et ga]rrula.
Quam, siqua pietas insita[st caelest]ibus,
viventi ingenio soli et lu[ci r]eddite,
15altoris memorem, quem paren͡t͡es dixeran͡t,
cum primum natust, Lucilianu͡m
Cassium.
D(is) M(anibus) Xantippes sive Iaia͡e. C(aius) Cassius Lucilianus alumnae dulcissi͡m͡ae.
( vac. )

Seu mortis miseret, seu te vitae, perlige:
nomen Xanthippe, Iaia eaedem lud`i´cro.
Quot ex{s}primens dolore fugit a͡nima corpor͡e,
hic conquiescit cunis terrae molli͡bus,
quam trino annorum filo proteren͡tia
novem post mensum ⸢f⸣ata co[nf]iciu͡n͡t ma͡lo.
Lues ignita torret ultra qu[ot d]`i´es,
venusta amoena inteḷ[legens et ga]rrula.
Quam, siqua pietas insita[st caelest]ibus,
viventi ingenio soli et lu[ci r]eddite,
altoris memorem, quem paren͡t͡es dixeran͡t,
cum primum natust, Lucilianu͡m Cassium.
Apparatus

l.5 reg., orig. perlige
l.10 f
l.16 reg., orig. natust

Text follows CLE.
ll. 10-14, integrations in place of more recent text added over a rhomboid tile that covers a hole due to reuse.

Main Translation

Translation To the Manes of Xanthippe, also called Iaia. Caius Cassius Lucilianus made this for his sweetest adopted daughter.

Whether death or life cause you distress, read through: the name is Xanthippe, but also playfully Iaia. Since her soul left her body, wrought out by pain, she rests here in a soft cradle of earth, the girl whom the Fates have consumed with a catastrophe after nine months, destroying her with the triple thread of life. A burning illness scorched her over so many days, she who was so charming, delightful, smart and chatty. If there is any justice among the gods above, bring her back to life, to the sun and to light, her, in memory of her foster-father named by her parents at her birth, Lucilianus Cassius.
Citation Fabio Spalla

Other Translations

Prosopographical Information

  • NameXanthippe / Iaia
    GenderFemale
    Age RangeInfant (0–12) [expression: Non-canonical, precision: high]
    Legal StatusSlave
    RoleDedicatee
  • NameCaius Cassius Lucilianus
    GenderMale
    Legal StatusRoman citizen
    RoleDedicator

Further Information

Comment

Dating proposed by M. G. Arrigoni Bertini 1993. A. Marastoni 1973 hypothesises that an earlier original text has been transcribed on the marble slab between the 15th and the 16th century.

Squeeze

Have Squeeze? no

Dating

Date (From) 201 AD
Date (To) 300 AD
Date (Criteria)
  • palaeography

Bibliography

Images

  • (c) Parma, National Archaeological Museum

Editing History

Created 2025-05-09, by Eric Andreas Kunz
Work Status Confirmed
Import Notice Imported from Epigraphic Database Roma at 2024-07-25T11:20:34, ID there: EDR082072
Revisions
  1. by Unknown
    at 2024-07-25 11:20
  2. by Eric Andreas Kunz
    at 2024-08-28 10:08
  3. by Anna Pokorny
    at 2025-01-29 16:27
  4. by Fabio Spalla
    at 2025-05-05 15:27
  5. by Fabio Spalla
    at 2025-05-05 15:30
  6. by Fabio Spalla
    at 2025-05-05 15:32
  7. by Fabio Spalla
    at 2025-05-05 15:33
  8. by Fabio Spalla
    at 2025-05-05 15:36
  9. by Chiara Cenati
    at 2025-05-09 08:41
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