Inscriptions: Sarcophagus of Aelia dedicated by the dispensator Augustorum Fronto

Identification

Reference as:	MPL00207
Title	Sarcophagus of Aelia dedicated by the dispensator Augustorum Fronto
Trismegistos-No.	191662

Object

Provenance and Location

Find Place	Nikopol
Find Context
Latitude	0.0
Longitude	0.0
Current Location	Nikopol
Inventory number
Current Location Details	Walled in the local fountain
Vicinity	[{"coords": [43.7053, 24.8952], "id": 207, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/207", "long_id": "MPL00207", "place": "Nikopol", "text": "[D](is) [ M(anibus?)] et b(onae) m(emoriae). Front\u2026", "thumbnail_url": null, "title": "Sarcophagus of Aelia dedicated by the dispensator Augustorum Fronto"}, {"coords": [44.1726, 24.3924], "id": 818, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/818", "long_id": "MPL00818", "place": "Romula", "text": "D(is)M(anibus) s(acrum.) L(ucius) Annius Octavius \u2026", "thumbnail_url": null, "title": "Funerary inscription of L. Annius Octavius Valerianus"}, {"coords": [44.1742, 24.3972], "id": 97, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/97", "long_id": "MPL00097", "place": "Romula", "text": "D(is) M(anibus). Ael(io) Iul(io) Iuliano dec(urion\u2026", "thumbnail_url": "https://cil.bbaw.de/ace/id/KO0035564", "title": "Funerary inscription for Aelius Iulius Iulianus"}, {"coords": [43.4087, 23.2261], "id": 137, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/137", "long_id": "MPL00137", "place": "Montana", "text": "Cum primum veni Monta-nis et Numina vidi, deabus 5\u2026", "thumbnail_url": null, "title": "Votive altar dedicated by Mallia Aemiliana"}, {"coords": [43.4087, 23.2261], "id": 348, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/348", "long_id": "MPL00348", "place": "Montana", "text": "Apollini et Dianae Appius Cl(audius) Martialis [A]\u2026", "thumbnail_url": null, "title": "Altar to Diana and Apollo dedicated by Appius Claudius Martialis"}, {"coords": [44.0478, 26.6139], "id": 236, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/236", "long_id": "MPL00236", "place": "Transmarisca", "text": "D(is) [M](anibus). Hic ego qui iacior Va[leri\u2026", "thumbnail_url": null, "title": "Funerary stele of Valeria"}, {"coords": [43.704, 24.4739], "id": 203, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/203", "long_id": "MPL00203", "place": "Oescus", "text": "D(is) M(anibus) S(extus) Vibius Valen[s] immere(n)\u2026", "thumbnail_url": null, "title": "Funerary stele of S. Vibius Valens"}, {"coords": [43.704, 24.4739], "id": 204, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/204", "long_id": "MPL00204", "place": "Oescus", "text": "------ [---]M[---] [---ex]imio construxit [---] v\u2026", "thumbnail_url": null, "title": "Fragmentary funerary inscription on a column"}, {"coords": [43.704, 24.4739], "id": 206, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/206", "long_id": "MPL00206", "place": "Oescus", "text": "------ [---]am debe[---] [---] tibi fatis ia[---]\u2026", "thumbnail_url": null, "title": "Fragmentary funerary stele from Oescus"}, {"coords": [43.6072, 25.394], "id": 208, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/208", "long_id": "MPL00208", "place": "Novae", "text": "I(ovi) O(ptimo) M(aximo) Depulsori pro salute d(om\u2026", "thumbnail_url": null, "title": "Dedication to Iuppiter Depulsor set up by the C. Baienius Ianuarius"}, {"coords": [43.6072, 25.394], "id": 218, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/218", "long_id": "MPL00218", "place": "Novae", "text": "\u0398(\u03b5\u03bf\u1fd6\u03c2) \u039a(\u03b1\u03c4\u03b1\u03c7\u03b8\u03bf\u03bd\u03af\u03bf\u03b9\u03c2). \u039f\u1f54\u03bd\u03bf\u03bc\u03ac \u03bc\u03bf\u03b9 \u0392\u03b1\u03c3\u03b9\u03bb\u03b5\u03cd\u03c2 \u03ba\u2026", "thumbnail_url": null, "title": "Funerary stele of Basileus"}, {"coords": [43.3, 25.2667], "id": 209, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/209", "long_id": "MPL00209", "place": "Nedan", "text": "[Hanc mortis sedem exstr]uxit sibi vivus amicus qu\u2026", "thumbnail_url": null, "title": "Funerary inscription of Muciana and Aurelius Dizze"}, {"coords": [43.3167, 24.0667], "id": 2, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/2", "long_id": "MPL00002", "place": "Chomakovtsi", "text": "D(is) M(anibus). Have viator. Si stu-diosus es sis\u2026", "thumbnail_url": null, "title": "Funerary stele of the praetorian soldier Aurelius Longinus"}, {"coords": [43.4, 24.2], "id": 263, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/263", "long_id": "MPL00263", "place": "Glava", "text": "Tu viator qui tr -ansis, rest(a), leg(e) tit(ulu\u2026", "thumbnail_url": null, "title": "Funerary stele by the veteran Valerius Tzita"}, {"coords": [43.3046, 23.4211], "id": 264, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/264", "long_id": "MPL00264", "place": "Vorovum minor", "text": "D(is) M(anibus) Val(erius) Rufus vet(eranus) ex vi\u2026", "thumbnail_url": null, "title": "Funerary inscription for the veteran Valerius Rufus"}, {"coords": [43.2425, 24.036], "id": 303, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/303", "long_id": "MPL00303", "place": "Reselets", "text": "D(is) M(anibus) [Resta,] viator, et [hoc (?) l]ege\u2026", "thumbnail_url": null, "title": "Funerary stele set up by P. Aelius Firmus"}, {"coords": [43.35, 24.1333], "id": 306, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/306", "long_id": "MPL00306", "place": "Koynare", "text": "[D(is) M(anibus)]. Viator qui trans-[is, r]est(a),\u2026", "thumbnail_url": null, "title": "Funerary stele set up by Maximus"}, {"coords": [43.25, 25.0], "id": 341, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/341", "long_id": "MPL00341", "place": "Melta / Chavdartsi ", "text": "D(is) M(anibus). Siste viator iter animum[que \u2026", "thumbnail_url": null, "title": "Funerary inscription made by Florens for his wife"}, {"coords": [43.35, 25.5], "id": 342, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/342", "long_id": "MPL00342", "place": "Obedinenie", "text": "D(is) M(anibus). Si modo sunt Ma-nes, sentiant\u2026", "thumbnail_url": null, "title": "Funerary stele of L. Spurennius Rufus"}, {"coords": [43.525, 26.5231], "id": 343, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/343", "long_id": "MPL00343", "place": "Abrittus", "text": "------ [---]yir[---] ann[---] [---]NITPIREO tetr\u2026", "thumbnail_url": null, "title": "Funerary inscription from Abrittus"}, {"coords": [43.525, 26.5231], "id": 345, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/345", "long_id": "MPL00345", "place": "Abrittus", "text": "Romulianus p(rae)p(ositus) eqq(uitum) Dalm(atarum)\u2026", "thumbnail_url": "https://lupa.at/img/20851-2.jpg", "title": "Funerary stele of Romula, daughter of Romulianus and Flavia Maxima"}, {"coords": [43.1833, 26.8667], "id": 346, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/346", "long_id": "MPL00346", "place": "Veliki Preslav", "text": "------ -[---]niam primus [---] [---] hanc macu[l]a\u2026", "thumbnail_url": null, "title": "Fragmentary verse inscription from Veliki Preslav"}, {"coords": [42.7042, 23.7711], "id": 830, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/830", "long_id": "MPL00830", "place": "Gorna Malina", "text": "D(is) M(anibus) Hic ego ia-cio (sic) infelix no-m\u2026", "thumbnail_url": null, "title": "Epitaph from Gorna Malina (Thracia) - HD014687"}, {"coords": [42.1893, 25.5538], "id": 1038, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/1038", "long_id": "MPL01038", "place": "Pizus", "text": "\u1f00\u03b3\u03b1\u03b8\u1fc6\u03b9 \u03c4\u1f7b\u03c7\u03b7\u03b9 \u03c3\u03b5 \u03a0\u03b1\u03b9\u1f70\u03bd \u03a0\u03b9\u03b6\u03b7\u03bd\u03b5 \u1fec\u03bf\u03b9\u03bc\u03b7\u03c4\u1f71\u03bb\u03ba\u03b7\u03c2 \u03c3\u03c4\u03c1\u1f71\u03c4\u03c9\u03c1 \u1f10\u2026", "thumbnail_url": null, "title": "Votive inscription from Pizus \u2013 \u010cirpan (Thracia) - HD065152"}, {"coords": [43.8136, 22.9123], "id": 2260, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/2260", "long_id": "MPL02260", "place": "Ratiaria", "text": "EDCINFRM Quid tantum superum Parcarum numina les\u2026", "thumbnail_url": "https://lupa.at/img/34891-1.jpg", "title": "Funerary inscription of Dassiola"}]

Object Details

Object Type	sarcophagus
Material	limestone
State of Preservation	complete?
Dimensions	width: 200.0 cm height: 97.0 cm depth: unknown
Letter Size in cm (min)	2.0
Letter Size in cm (max)	5.0
Execution Technique	chiselled
Religion

Decoration

Decoration and Iconography
Decoration Tags

Verse Layouts

Prose Verse Presence Prose + Verse
Scriptio Continua in verse part no
Abbreviations in verse part no
Verse Line Correspondence Yes

Prose Verse Presence	Prose + Verse
Scriptio Continua in verse part	no
Abbreviations in verse part	no
Verse Line Correspondence	Yes

Text

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

Inscription & Translations

Diplomatic Interpretative Verse Visualisation

[]
ETBMFRONTOAVGNNDISPENSMOESINF

FLORIBVSVTSALTEMREQVIESCANTMEMBRAIVCVNDIS
AELIAECARAEMIHINVNCHOCINCLVSAESEPVLCRO
5REGINADITISMAGNIREGIS[]RECORHOCTE
NAMMERVITHAECMVLTASVISPROLAVDIBVSAME
INMERITAEPROPERESOLVENTEMFILADEARVM
QVAEGLOBOPARCARVMREVOLVTACVNCTAGVBERNANT
QVALISENIMFVERITVITAQVAMDEINDEPVDICA
10SIPOSSEMEFFARICITHARASVADEREEGOMANES
HAECPRIMVMCASTAQVOTTEAVDIRELIBENTER
ETMVNDISPATIADITISQVOQVEREGIANORVNT
HANCPRECORELYSIISIVBEASCONSISTERECAMPIS
ETMYRTAREDIMIRECOMASETTEMPORAFLORE
15LARMIHIHAECQVONDAMHAECSPESHAECVNICAVITA
ETVELLETQVODVELLEMNOLLETQVOQVEACSIEGONOLLEM
INTIMANVLLAEIQVAENONMIHINOTAFVERE
NECLABOSHVICDEFVITNECVELLERVMINSCIAFILA
PARCAMANVSETLARGAMEOINAMOREMARITI
20NECSINEMECIBVSHVICGRATVSNECMVNERABACCHI
CONSILIOMIRACATAMENTENOBILIFAMA
CARMINIPOSSESSORFAVEASPRECORACPRECORVTTLV
HANCTITVLISEDEMVELLESDECORAREQVODANNIS
ETFOVEASAEVIMONVMENTVMTEMPOREGRATO
25ROSCIDASIROSVLASEVGRATOFLOREAMARANTHI
ETMVLTISGENERVMPOMISVARIISQVENOVISQVE
VTPOSSITTOTOREFOVERITEMPORISANNO

[D](is) [ M(anibus?)]
et b(onae) m(emoriae). Fronto Aug(ustorum) nn(ostrorum) dispens(ator) Moes(iae) inf(erioris).

Floribus ut saltem requiescant membra iucundis
Aeliae carae mihi nunc hoc inclusae sepulcro,
5regina Ditis magni regis, [p]recor hoc te
nam meruit haec multa suis pro laudibus a me
inmeritae propere solventem fila dearum,
quae globo Parcarum revoluta cuncta gubernant.
Qualis enim fuerit vita, quam deinde pudica,
10si possem effari, cithara suadere(m) ego Manes.
Haec primum casta, quot te audire libenter
et mundi spatia Ditis quoque regia norunt.
Hanc precor Elysiis iubeas consistere campis
et myrta redimire comas et tempora flore.
15Lar mihi haec quondam, haec spes, haec unica vita,
et vellet quod vellem, nollet quoque ac si ego nollem,
intima nulla ei quae non mihi nota fuere,
nec labos huic defuit, nec vellerum inscia fila,
parca manu set larga meo in amore mariti,
20nec sine me cibus huic gratus nec munera Bacchi,
consilio mira, cata mente, nobili fama.
Carmini, possessor, faveas, precor, ac precor ut t{l}u
hanc tituli sedem velles decorare quodannis
et foveas aevi monumentum tempore grato
25roscida si rosula seu grato flore amaranthi
et multi{s} generum pomis variisque novisque,
ut possit toto refoveri temporis anno.

[D](is) [ M(anibus?)] et b(onae) m(emoriae). Fronto Aug(ustorum) nn(ostrorum) dispens(ator) Moes(iae) inf(erioris).

Floribus ut saltem requiescant membra iucundis
Aeliae carae mihi nunc hoc inclusae sepulcro,
regina Ditis magni regis, [p]recor hoc te
nam meruit haec multa suis pro laudibus a me
inmeritae propere solventem fila dearum,
quae globo Parcarum revoluta cuncta gubernant.
Qualis enim fuerit vita, quam deinde pudica,
si possem effari, cithara suadere(m) ego Manes.
Haec primum casta, quot te audire libenter
et mundi spatia Ditis quoque regia norunt.
Hanc precor Elysiis iubeas consistere campis
et myrta redimire comas et tempora flore.
Lar mihi haec quondam, haec spes, haec unica vita,
et vellet quod vellem, nollet quoque ac si ego nollem,
intima nulla ei quae non mihi nota fuere,
nec labos huic defuit, nec vellerum inscia fila,
parca manu set larga meo in amore mariti,
nec sine me cibus huic gratus nec munera Bacchi,
consilio mira, cata mente, nobili fama.
Carmini, possessor, faveas, precor, ac precor ut t{l}u
hanc tituli sedem velles decorare quodannis
et foveas aevi monumentum tempore grato
roscida si rosula seu grato flore amaranthi
et multi{s} generum pomis variisque novisque,
ut possit toto refoveri temporis anno.

Apparatus

l.19 set orig., reg. sed>

Text follows Cenati, González Berdús.

Main Translation

Translation	To the spirits of the Departed and to the good memory. Fronto, treasurer [manager?] of our emperors in the province of Moesia inferior. May at least the rests of my dear Aelia, now locked in this tomb, queen of the great king of Underworld, rest among pleasant flowers, I beg you – because she has deserved a lot from my side for her merits – you, who have broken too early to her, who did not deserve it, the threads of the goddesses who govern all the turns of the spindle [?] of the Parcae. If I had been able to tell how exemplary her life was and how honest, perhaps I could have persuaded the spirits of the Dead with the lyre. She was chaste above all, as much as the ends of the world and the reign of Pluto know that you listen gladly (??). I beg you to allow her to stay in the Elysian fields and encircle her hair with myrtle and her temples with flowers. Once she has been my home, my hope, my only reason to live and she wanted what I wanted and she did not want what I did not want; she had no secrets that she did not confide to me and she was never idle nor was she unable to spin the wool. She was frugal in her expenses, but generous in love for her husband; neither was the food pleasing to her without me, nor the gifts of Bacchus; she was of admirable wisdom, of clever mind and renowned reputation. I beg you, owner, take care of this poem, and please, I pray you, decorate the place of this epitaph every year, and take care of this monument to eternity when the weather is favourable with dewy roses or with the beautiful amaranth flower and with many different and various and new fruits, so that it will revive during the whole year.
Citation	Cenati, González Berdús

Other Translations

Prosopographical Information

Name Aelia
Gender Female
Romans 1by1 Link http://romans1by1.com/rpeople/12412
Role Dedicatee
Name Fronto
Gender Male
Legal Status Slave
Profession Imperial and municipal staff
Romans 1by1 Link http://romans1by1.com/rpeople/12411
Role Dedicator

Name	Aelia
Gender	Female
Romans 1by1 Link	http://romans1by1.com/rpeople/12412
Role	Dedicatee

Name	Fronto
Gender	Male
Legal Status	Slave
Profession	Imperial and municipal staff
Romans 1by1 Link	http://romans1by1.com/rpeople/12411
Role	Dedicator

Further Information

Comment

Squeeze

Have Squeeze?	no

Dating

Date (From)	198 AD
Date (To)	209 AD
Date (Criteria)

Bibliography

CIL 03, 00754, cfr. p. 992
CIL 03, 07436
CLE 00492
ILBulg 00145
CLEMoes 00026
P. Cugusi, Per un nuovo corpus dei Carmina Latina Epigraphica, Materiali e discussioni, Roma 2007, 105-106 🔗 link
A. Tomas, Inter Moesos et Thraces. The Rural Hinterland of Novae in Lower Moesia (1st-6th centuries AD), Oxford 2016, 179, no. E91 🔗 link
C. Cenati, V. González Berdús, Latin verse inscriptions from the Limes of Moesia inferior, Studia Academica Šumenensia 10 (2023), 98-148, T4. 🔗 link
D. Murzea, Femina et Carmina. Female Agency and Authorship in Roman Verse Inscriptions, Vienna 2025, 501, no. 314. 🔗 link
HD042622 🔗 link
MQDQ 🔗 link

Images

Editing History

Created	2026-08-12, by Chiara Cenati
Work Status	Complete
Import Notice

Revisions

by Anna Pokorny
at 2026-01-13 14:15
by Chiara Cenati
at 2026-01-15 11:53
by Chiara Cenati
at 2026-01-15 11:54
by Anna Pokorny
at 2026-06-09 09:33
by Anna Martelli
at 2026-08-12 12:39

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