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Inscriptions: Epitaph of Q. Caecilius Optatus by his parents and brother

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Identification

Reference as: MPL01969
Title Epitaph of Q. Caecilius Optatus by his parents and brother
Trismegistos-No. 551877

Object

Provenance and Location

Find Place Corfinium
Find Context Corfinio (L'Aquila), Cathedral of S. Pelino, bell tower.
Latitude 0.0
Longitude 0.0
Current Location unknown
Inventory number
Current Location Details Unknown or lost.
Vicinity

Object Details

Object Type
Material unknown
State of Preservation
Dimensions

width: unknown

height: unknown

depth: unknown

Letter Size in cm (min) 0.0
Letter Size in cm (max) 0.0
Execution Technique chiselled
Religion Pagan

Decoration

Decoration and Iconography
Decoration Tags

Verse Layouts

Text

Function funerary inscription
Language(s)
  • Latin
Verse Type(s)
  • Elegiac couplet
Rhythmisation Quantitative scheme

Inscription & Translations


QCAECILIO
QFPALOPTATO
VIXITANIIMEVI
QCAECILIVSQETL
5HERMESSEVI͡RAVG
LICINIAREPENTINA
PARENTESPIISSIMIPOSVER
E͡TQCAECILIVSQFPAL
PAELINVSFRATR

10HICIACETOPTATVSPIETATISNOBILISI͡NFAS
CVIPRECORVTCINERESSINTIASINTQROSAE
TERRAQQVAEMATERNVNCESTSIBISITLEVISORO
NAMQVEGRAVISNVLLIVITAFVITPVERI
ERGOQVODMISERIPOSSVNTPRAESTAREPARENTES
15HVNCTITVLVMNATOCONSTITVERESVO

Q(uinto) Caecilio
Q(uinti) f(ilio) Pal(atina) Optato,
vixit an(nis) II, me(nsibus) VI.
Q(uintus) Caecilius Q(uinti) et (mulieris) l(ibertus)
5Hermes, sevi͡r Aug(ustalis),
Licinia Repentina
parentes piissimi posuer(unt)
e͡t Q(uintus) Caecilius Q(uinti) f(ilius) Pal(atina)
Paelinus fratr(i).

10Hic iacet Optatus, pietatis nobilis i͡nfas,
cui precor ut cineres sint (l)i(li)a sintq(ue) rosae,
terraq(ue), quae mater nunc est, sibi sit levis oro,
namque gravis nulli vita fuit pueri.
Ergo quod miseri possunt praestare parentes,
15hunc titulum nato constituere suo.
Q(uinto) Caecilio Q(uinti) f(ilio) Pal(atina) Optato, vixit an(nis) II, me(nsibus) VI. Q(uintus) Caecilius Q(uinti) et (mulieris) l(ibertus) Hermes, sevi͡r Aug(ustalis), Licinia Repentina parentes piissimi posuer(unt) e͡t Q(uintus) Caecilius Q(uinti) f(ilius) Pal(atina) Paelinus fratr(i).

Hic iacet Optatus, pietatis nobilis i͡nfas,
cui precor ut cineres sint (l)i(li)a sintq(ue) rosae,
terraq(ue), quae mater nunc est, sibi sit levis oro,
namque gravis nulli vita fuit pueri.
Ergo quod miseri possunt praestare parentes,
hunc titulum nato constituere suo.
Apparatus

l.10 reg., orig. infas

Text follows CIL 09.

Main Translation

Translation To Quintus Caecilius Optatus, son of Quintus, of the Palatina tribe, who lived two years and six months. His most devoted parents Quintus Caecilius Hermes, freedman of Quintus and of his wife, sevir Augustalis, and Licinia Repentina made this, and Quintus Caecilius Paelinus, son of Quintus, of the Palatina tribe made it for his brother.
Here lies Optatus, a child well-known for his tenderness, whose ashes, I pray, may turn into lilies and roses, and the earth that is now his mother may be light upon him. for the child's life was a burden to no one. His mournful parents dedicated this epitaph to their child, for it is all they can do.
Citation Fabio Spalla

Other Translations

Prosopographical Information

  • NameQuintus Caecilius Optatus
    GenderMale
    Age RangeInfant (0–12) [expression: Canonical, precision: high]
    OriginNative
    Legal StatusRoman citizen
    RoleDedicatee
  • NameQuintus Caecilius Hermes
    GenderMale
    OriginNative
    Legal StatusFreedman / Freedwoman
    ProfessionReligious staff
    RoleDedicator
  • NameLicinia Repentina
    GenderFemale
    OriginNative
    Legal StatusUnknown
    RoleDedicator
  • NameQuintus Caecilius Paelinus
    GenderMale
    OriginNative
    Legal StatusRoman citizen
    RoleDedicator

Further Information

Comment

Dating proposed by G. Almagno in EDR177380.

Squeeze

Have Squeeze? no

Dating

Date (From) 51 AD
Date (To) 100 AD
Date (Criteria)
  • formulae

Bibliography

Images

Editing History

Created 2025-04-13, by Anna Pokorny
Work Status Confirmed
Import Notice Imported from Epigraphic Database Roma at 2024-08-29T13:55:24, ID there: EDR177380
Revisions
  1. by Unknown
    at 2024-08-29 13:55
  2. by Anna Pokorny
    at 2024-11-11 13:08
  3. by Fabio Spalla
    at 2025-03-31 15:51
  4. by Fabio Spalla
    at 2025-03-31 15:52
  5. by Fabio Spalla
    at 2025-03-31 15:52
  6. by Fabio Spalla
    at 2025-03-31 15:55
  7. by Chiara Cenati
    at 2025-04-08 13:42
  8. by Chiara Cenati
    at 2025-04-08 13:43
  9. by Fabio Spalla
    at 2025-04-10 14:01
  10. by Chiara Cenati
    at 2025-04-13 10:21
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