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Inscriptions: Funerary inscription to Hymnus by his master Orestinus

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Identification

Reference as: MPL02092
Title Funerary inscription to Hymnus by his master Orestinus
Trismegistos-No. 554124

Object

Provenance and Location

Find Place Larinum
Find Context San Martino in Pensilis, locality known as Mattonelle, 1993.
Latitude 41.8781
Longitude 15.0182
Current Location Larino, Area Archeologica di Larino
Inventory number
Current Location Details Area Archeologica di Larino, Porta Benevento repository.
Vicinity

Object Details

Object Type stele
Material limestone
State of Preservation complete
Dimensions

width: unknown

height: 154.0 cm

depth: 23.0 cm

Letter Size in cm (min) 2.0
Letter Size in cm (max) 3.5
Execution Technique chiselled
Religion Pagan

Decoration

Decoration and Iconography
Decoration Tags
  • Architecture / frame
  • Plant / Ivy leaf

Verse Layouts

  • Prose Verse PresencePraescriptum + carmen + subscriptum
    Prose Verse Distinction
    • Yes, by bigger lettering in prose
    • Yes, by vacat
    Layout Types (Prose)
    • Centered
    Layout Types (Verse)
    • Centered
    Scriptio Continua in verse partyes
    Abbreviations in verse partyes
    Verse Line CorrespondenceYes
    Graphic Signs and Spaces for Easier Carmen Reading
    • To mark a pentameter in an elegiac couplet (indentation)

Text

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

Inscription & Translations


HYMNO
PVEROKARISSIMO
ORESTINVSDOMINVSFECIT

LIBERTASPROMISSAFVITSCIOMORTEPEREMPTAEST
5SENTIOFALLEBAMNILDOMINVSFATEOR
QVOTPOTVILACRIMASAETERNAQMVNERAMISI
HEVMELIBERTASESTDOLORISTEMIHI
DEBVERASNOSTRISPOIVSTVFLERESEPVLC.[]S
VIVESETATLECTVSSISMEMOROROMEI
     vacat

10VIX hedera ANN hedera XVI

Hymno
puero karissimo
Orestinus dominus fecit.

Libertas promissa fuit. Scio. Morte perempta est.
5Sentio. Fallebam ni(hi)l dominus. Fateor.
Quot potui lacrimas aeternaq(ue) munera misi.
Heu me, libertas est dolor iste mihi.
Debueras nostris po<t>ius tu flere sepulcṛ[i]s.
Vives et atlectus sis memor, oro, mei.
( vac. )

10Vix(it) ((hedera)) ann(is) ((hedera)) XVI.

Hymno
puero karissimo
Orestinus dominus fecit.

Libertas promissa fuit. Scio. Morte perempta est.
Sentio. Fallebam ni(hi)l dominus. Fateor.
Quot potui lacrimas aeternaq(ue) munera misi.
Heu me, libertas est dolor iste mihi.
Debueras nostris po<t>ius tu flere sepulcṛ[i]s.
Vives et atlectus sis memor, oro, mei.
( vac. )
Vix(it) ((hedera)) ann(is) ((hedera)) XVI.
Apparatus

l.2 reg., orig. karissimo
l.9 reg., orig. atlectus

Text follows AE 1998. Picture checked by Spalla 2025.

Main Translation

Translation The master Orestinus built this monument for his dearest boy Hymnus.

- Freedom was promised.
- I know.
- It was taken by death.
- I feel it.
- I did nothing wrong as a master.
- No doubt.
- I shed as many tears and offered as many eternal gifts as I could.
- Wretched me! Freedom is such a pain to me!
- You should have rather wept over my grave.
- I beg you, live on and remember me fondly.

He lived for sixteen years.
Citation Fabio Spalla

Other Translations

Prosopographical Information

  • NameHymnus
    GenderMale
    Age RangeSubadult (13–20) [expression: Canonical, precision: high]
    OriginUnknown
    Legal StatusSlave
    RoleDedicatee
  • NameOrestinus
    GenderMale
    OriginUnknown
    Legal StatusRoman citizen
    RoleDedicator

Further Information

Comment

Dating proposed in AE 1998. Following Buonocore (1997), the inscription is structured as a dialogue (a statement by the master immediately followed by the slave's reply).

Squeeze

Have Squeeze? no

Dating

Date (From) 51 AD
Date (To) 150 AD
Date (Criteria)
  • formulae
  • palaeography

Bibliography

Images

  • (c) F. Nasti

Editing History

Created 2025-04-08, by Fabio Spalla
Work Status Confirmed
Import Notice
Revisions
  1. by Fabio Spalla
    at 2025-03-25 11:26
  2. by Fabio Spalla
    at 2025-03-25 11:41
  3. by Fabio Spalla
    at 2025-03-25 12:02
  4. by Fabio Spalla
    at 2025-03-25 13:44
  5. by Fabio Spalla
    at 2025-03-26 11:00
  6. by Fabio Spalla
    at 2025-03-31 08:58
  7. by Fabio Spalla
    at 2025-03-31 09:09
  8. by Chiara Cenati
    at 2025-03-31 14:51
  9. by Fabio Spalla
    at 2025-03-31 16:39
  10. by Chiara Cenati
    at 2025-04-08 15:22
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