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Inscriptions: Funerary inscription for Marcus Pomponius Bassulus

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Identification

Reference as: MPL01545
Title Funerary inscription for Marcus Pomponius Bassulus
Trismegistos-No. 514278

Object

Provenance and Location

Find Place Aeclanum
Find Context Found between Mirabella Eclano (Avellino), Passo di Mirabella hamlet and Grottaminarda (Avellino), not far from the King's Fountain.
Latitude 0.0
Longitude 0.0
Current Location Avellino, Museo provinciale Irpino
Inventory number 32
Current Location Details
Vicinity

Object Details

Object Type altar
Material local stone
State of Preservation
Dimensions

width: 62.0 cm

height: 142.0 cm

depth: 54.0 cm

Letter Size in cm (min) 2.5
Letter Size in cm (max) 3.5
Execution Technique chiselled
Religion Pagan

Decoration

Decoration and Iconography
Decoration Tags

Verse Layouts

  • Prose Verse PresenceProse + Verse + Prose
    Scriptio Continua in verse partno
    Abbreviations in verse partno
    Verse Line CorrespondenceYes

Text

Function funerary inscription
Language(s)
  • Latin
Verse Type(s)
  • iambo-trochaic rhythm
Rhythmisation

Inscription & Translations

DM[]
MPOMPONIOMFILMNMPRON
MABNCORBASSVLO
IIVIRQQ

5NEMOREPECORISOTIOTRANSFVGERE[]
MENANDRIPAVCASVORTISCITASFABVLAS
ETIPSVSETIAMSEDVLOFINXINOVAS
IDQVALEQVALESTCHARTISMANDATV͡MD͡IV
VERVMVEXATVSANIMICVRISANXIIS
10NONNVLLISETIAMCORPOR[]ORIBVS
VTRVMQVEVTESSETTAEDIOSV[]AMODV͡M
OPTATAMMORTEMSVMPOT[]MIHI
SVODEMORECVNCTADATL[]AMINA
VOSINSEPVLCHROHOCELOGI[]CIDITE
15QVODSITDOCIMENTOPOSTM[]IBVS
IMMODICENEQVISVITAESCOP[]REAT
CVMSITPARATVSPORTVSEIAC[]IBVS
QVINOSEXCIPIATADQVIET[]EM
SETIAMVALETEDONECVITA[]TET

20CANTLONGMARITOPTBMF
D(is) M(anibus) [s(acrum) ].
M(arco) Pomponio M(arci) fil(io), M(arci) n(epoti), M(arci) pron(epoti),
M(arci) abn(epoti) Cor(nelia) Bassulo,
(duoviro) q(uin)q(uennali).

5Ne more pecoris otio transfugere[r],
Menandri paucas vorti scitas fabulas,
et ipsus etiam sedulo finxi novas.
Id quale qualest chartis mandatu͡m d͡iu .
Verum vexatus animi curis anxiìs
10non nullis etiam corpor[is dol]oribus
utrumque ut esset taediosu[m ultr]a modu͡m
optatam mortem sum pot[itus. Ea] mihi
suo de more cuncta dat l[ev]amina.
Vos in sepulchro hoc elogi[um in]cidite
15quod sit docimento post m[eis gentil]ibus
immodice ne quis vitae scop[ulis hae]reat,
cum sit paratus portus eiac[ulant]ibus,
qui nos excipiat ad quiet[em perpet]em.
Set iam valete donec vita [suppe]tet.

20Cant(ria) Long(ina) marit(o) opt(imo) b(ene) m(erenti) f(ecit).
D(is) M(anibus) [s(acrum) ]. M(arco) Pomponio M(arci) fil(io), M(arci) n(epoti), M(arci) pron(epoti), M(arci) abn(epoti) Cor(nelia) Bassulo, (duoviro) q(uin)q(uennali).

Ne more pecoris otio transfugere[r],
Menandri paucas vorti scitas fabulas,
et ipsus etiam sedulo finxi novas.
Id quale qualest chartis mandatu͡m d͡iu .
Verum vexatus animi curis anxiìs
non nullis etiam corpor[is dol]oribus
utrumque ut esset taediosu[m ultr]a modu͡m
optatam mortem sum pot[itus. Ea] mihi
suo de more cuncta dat l[ev]amina.
Vos in sepulchro hoc elogi[um in]cidite
quod sit docimento post m[eis gentil]ibus
immodice ne quis vitae scop[ulis hae]reat,
cum sit paratus portus eiac[ulant]ibus,
qui nos excipiat ad quiet[em perpet]em.
Set iam valete donec vita [suppe]tet.
Cant(ria) Long(ina) marit(o) opt(imo) b(ene) m(erenti) f(ecit).
Apparatus

Text follows Evangelisti (EDR134030)
l. 1: [s(acrum)], omitted (Courtney)
l. 8: ma[n]datum (CIL) (CLE) (ILS) (De Ruggiero) (Courtney)
l. 9: cu[r]is [a]nxiis, (CLE) (De Ruggiero) (Courtney)
l. 10: corpo[ris dol]oribus (CLE) (ILS) (Courtney); vel corpo[ris lab?]oribus (Alfonsi)
l. 11: taed[i]u[sum ultr]a (CIL) (ILS) (De Ruggiero); taed[iosum ultr]a (CLE) (Salvatore); taedi[o mi ultr]a (Courtney); vel taedi[o mi supr?]a (Alfonsi)
l. 12: POT[ITVS QVAE] MIHI (Courtney) (Grilli)
l. 13 d[a]t l[ev]amina (CIL); [dat levam]ina (Salvatore); [dat lev]amina (CLE) (ILS) (De Ruggiero) (Courtney); vel [dat sol?]amina (Alfonsi)
l. 14: [h]oc [elogium in]cidite (De Ruggiero); [h]oc elo[gium in]cidite (ILS); [h]oc elo[gium inc]idite (CLE) (Salvatore) (De Ruggiero) (Courtney); elo[gium] (Kajava/Solin)
l. 15: fo[-]q[- - -]ibus (CIL) (CLE) (De Ruggiero); post f[uturis omn]ibus (ILS); foq[---]ibus (Alfonsi); post [---] (Salvatore); post [---]ibus (Courtney)
l. 16: scop[ulis haere]at (Salvatore); sco[pulos hor]reat (Courtney)
l. 17: portus [---]ibus (Courtney), cum sit paratus portus [naufragant]ibus, vel [navigant]ibus (Watt)
l. 19 vi[vere exped]it (CIL) (CLE) (ILS) (De Ruggiero) (De Ruggiero) (Salvatore); vi[---]it (Courtney); vi[ta aequisit pre]ti (Kajava/Solin)

Main Translation

Translation "(1–4) Sacred to the divine Manes. For Marcus Pomponius Bassulus, son of Marcus, grandson of Marcus, great-grandson of Marcus, great-great-grandson of Marcus, of the Cornelian tribe, duumvir quinquennalis.
(5–8) Lest I misspend life, like cattle, in idleness, I translated a few well-known plays of Menander, and I even, with some industry, created new ones, such, whatever its quality, was committed to paper a long time ago.
(9–13) But tortured by anxious sorrows in my heart, and even some bodily pains, so that both had become a tedious burden beyond measure, I grasped death that I desired, giving me, in its own manner, relief from everything.
(14–18) You have this text inscribed on my tomb, so that it may serve my relatives as evidence, lest anyone be afraid beyond measure of life’s cliffs, when there is a harbour ready for those who navigate the sea, to welcome us to everlasting tranquillity.
(19) But now farewell for as long as there is a life (for you) that comes at a fair cost.
(20) Cantria Longina had this made for her husband, who was the best and most deserving."
Citation Peter Kruschwitz

Other Translations

Prosopographical Information

  • NameMarcus Pomponius Bassulus
    GenderMale
    Legal StatusRoman citizen
    ProfessionImperial and municipal staff
    RoleDedicatee
  • NameCantria Longina
    GenderFemale
    RoleDedicator

Further Information

Comment

Squeeze

Have Squeeze? no

Dating

Date (From) 117 AD
Date (To) 138 AD
Date (Criteria)

Bibliography

Images

Editing History

Created 2026-07-28, by Anna Pokorny
Work Status Complete
Import Notice Imported from Epigraphic Database Roma at 2024-08-22T15:03:22, ID there: EDR134030
Revisions
  1. by Unknown
    at 2024-08-22 15:03
  2. by Eric Andreas Kunz
    at 2024-11-07 11:59
  3. by Eric Andreas Kunz
    at 2024-11-07 11:59
  4. by Anna Pokorny
    at 2025-02-04 14:47
  5. by Anna Pokorny
    at 2026-07-28 08:57
  6. by Anna Pokorny
    at 2026-07-28 09:25
  7. by Anna Pokorny
    at 2026-07-28 09:32
  8. by Anna Pokorny
    at 2026-07-28 09:36
  9. by Chiara Cenati
    at 2026-07-28 10:47
  10. by Chiara Cenati
    at 2026-07-28 10:49
  11. by Chiara Cenati
    at 2026-07-28 11:22
  12. by Anna Pokorny
    at 2026-07-28 12:08
  13. by Anna Pokorny
    at 2026-07-28 12:10
  14. by Chiara Cenati
    at 2026-07-28 13:23
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