Inscriptions: Epitaph by the baker Marcus Careieus Asisa for his wife and daughter

Identification

Reference as:	MPL02174
Title	Epitaph by the baker Marcus Careieus Asisa for his wife and daughter
Trismegistos-No.	213743

Object

Provenance and Location

Find Place	Narbo Martius
Find Context	Courtyard of the Decourt palace, in the foundations of the Visigothic fortifications, 1908.
Latitude	0.0
Longitude	0.0
Current Location	Narbonne, Musée Narbo Via
Inventory number	08.2.1
Current Location Details
Vicinity	[{"coords": [43.1836, 3.0042], "id": 2174, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/2174", "long_id": "MPL02174", "place": "Narbo Martius", "text": "M(arcus) Careieus M(arci) l(ibertus) Asisa\u0323 p\u0323is[t\u2026", "thumbnail_url": "https://db.edcs.eu/epigr/bilder/$ILGN_00583.jpg", "title": "Epitaph by the baker Marcus Careieus Asisa for his wife and daughter"}, {"coords": [43.1836, 3.0042], "id": 2063, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/2063", "long_id": "MPL02063", "place": "Narbo Martius", "text": "Part A: C\u0323(aius) Of\u0323[illi]u\u0323s\u0323 C(ai) l(ibertus) \u2026", "thumbnail_url": "https://db.edcs.eu/epigr/bilder/$CIL_12_05026.jpg", "title": "Funerary inscription by C. Ofillius to himself, his wife, and his son"}, {"coords": [43.1836, 3.0042], "id": 2064, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/2064", "long_id": "MPL02064", "place": "Narbo Martius", "text": "[M]ortua cum fueris, fati quod lege necessest, Vst\u2026", "thumbnail_url": "https://db.edcs.eu/epigr/bilder/$CIL_12_05271.jpg", "title": "Funerary inscription to unknown dedicatee"}, {"coords": [43.1836, 3.0042], "id": 2090, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/2090", "long_id": "MPL02090", "place": "Narbo Martius", "text": "Tu, coniux miserande, duas quoi funere plagas Obt\u2026", "thumbnail_url": "https://db-edcs-eu.uaccess.univie.ac.at/epigr/bilder/$ILGN_00579.jpg", "title": "Funerary inscription by a husband to his wife"}, {"coords": [43.1836, 3.0042], "id": 2162, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/2162", "long_id": "MPL02162", "place": "Narbo Martius", "text": "Hospitium tibi hoc. Invitus venio. Veniundum 5est \u2026", "thumbnail_url": "https://institucional.us.es/cleo/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/N149.jpg", "title": "Funerary inscription with a dialogue from Narbonne"}, {"coords": [43.1836, 3.0042], "id": 2164, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/2164", "long_id": "MPL02164", "place": "Narbo Martius", "text": "Nec iussa testamento neque voce rogata, sed pia 5p\u2026", "thumbnail_url": "https://institucional.us.es/cleo/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/N135.jpg", "title": "Funerary inscription from Narbo Martius"}, {"coords": [43.1836, 3.0042], "id": 2166, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/2166", "long_id": "MPL02166", "place": "Narbo Martius", "text": "[Sic] tibi praeterito redeat felicior annus [sem]p\u2026", "thumbnail_url": null, "title": "Funerary inscription from Narbo Martius"}, {"coords": [43.1836, 3.0042], "id": 2167, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/2167", "long_id": "MPL02167", "place": "Narbo Martius", "text": "------ usta igni f\u0323idissumus atro corpora quae ra\u2026", "thumbnail_url": "https://institucional.us.es/cleo/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/N136.jpg", "title": "Epitaph of unknown children by their parents"}, {"coords": [43.1836, 3.0042], "id": 2171, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/2171", "long_id": "MPL02171", "place": "Narbo Martius", "text": "L(uci) Octavi Silvan\u0361e, bene\u0323 quiescas. Mater \u2026", "thumbnail_url": "https://institucional.us.es/cleo/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/N145.jpg", "title": "Epitaph of Lucius Octavius Silvanus by his mother"}, {"coords": [43.1836, 3.0042], "id": 2173, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/2173", "long_id": "MPL02173", "place": "Narbo Martius", "text": "Vinicia M(arci) l(iberta) Donata. Mac\u0323[e]r\u0323i\u0323\u2026", "thumbnail_url": "https://db.edcs.eu/epigr/bilder/$CIL_12_05244.jpg", "title": "Epitaph of Vinicia Donata"}, {"coords": [43.6776, 4.6308], "id": 29, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/29", "long_id": "MPL00029", "place": "Arelate", "text": "Aeliae Aelia[nae.] Littera qui nosti, lege casum\u2026", "thumbnail_url": "https://institucional.us.es/cleo/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Ensemble-1.jpg", "title": "Funerary inscription for Aelia Aeliana"}, {"coords": [43.6776, 4.6308], "id": 2161, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/2161", "long_id": "MPL02161", "place": "Arelate", "text": "[Caec]i\u0323[lio] N\u0323igro fa[br](o) [nav(ali)]. [Pr\u2026", "thumbnail_url": "https://institucional.us.es/cleo/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/stele-scaled.jpg", "title": "Epitaph of the faber navalis Caecilius Niger"}, {"coords": [43.6776, 4.6308], "id": 2175, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/2175", "long_id": "MPL02175", "place": "Arelate", "text": "Flebile opus matris. Natorum h\u003ci\u003ec ossa duorum con\u2026", "thumbnail_url": "https://institucional.us.es/cleo/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Memmia-1.jpg", "title": "Epitaph by Memmia Paramone to her son and daughter"}, {"coords": [43.6776, 4.6308], "id": 2179, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/2179", "long_id": "MPL02179", "place": "Arelate", "text": "Tabula handles:D(is) M(anibus). O dolor, quan\u2026", "thumbnail_url": null, "title": "Epitaph of Iulia Lucina"}, {"coords": [43.6776, 4.6308], "id": 2180, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/2180", "long_id": "MPL02180", "place": "Arelate", "text": "Spen\u0361d\u0361onti, C(aii) Stati\u003ci\u003e Patercli, Q(uintus) S\u2026", "thumbnail_url": "https://institucional.us.es/cleo/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/DSC_0660-scaled.jpg", "title": "Epitaph of the slave Spendo by Quintus Statius Murranus"}, {"coords": [43.6776, 4.6308], "id": 2181, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/2181", "long_id": "MPL02181", "place": "Arelate", "text": "Vitalis M(arci) Verati\u003ci\u003e Clari ann(orum) V hic s(\u2026", "thumbnail_url": "https://institucional.us.es/cleo/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/ensemble.jpg", "title": "Epitaph of the child slave Vitalis"}, {"coords": [43.6776, 4.6308], "id": 2182, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/2182", "long_id": "MPL02182", "place": "Arelate", "text": "Quat valeas \u003ch\u003eabeas pascas mul-tos tu habeb\u2e22i\u2e23s a\u2026", "thumbnail_url": "https://institucional.us.es/cleo/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Ensemble-net.jpg", "title": "Anonymous epitaph from Arelate"}, {"coords": [43.6776, 4.6308], "id": 2184, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/2184", "long_id": "MPL02184", "place": "Arelate", "text": "Severo Rom[u]la ((hedera)) m\u0361a-ter. Hoc pietat\u2026", "thumbnail_url": "https://institucional.us.es/cleo/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/DSC00002-3b.jpg", "title": "Epitaph of Severus by his mother Romula"}, {"coords": [43.8432, 4.35418], "id": 50, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/50", "long_id": "MPL00050", "place": "Nemausus", "text": "Hoc monimentum maesoleumque mo-nimentorum caus{s}a\u2026", "thumbnail_url": null, "title": "Funerary monument of Hostilia"}, {"coords": [41.7845, 1.29031], "id": 827, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/827", "long_id": "MPL00827", "place": "Iesso", "text": "Servilla Praepusa filiae suae Lesbiae a(nnorum) XI\u2026", "thumbnail_url": null, "title": "Epitaph from Iesso \u2013 Guissona (Hispania citerior) - HD014123"}, {"coords": [41.1849, 1.20999], "id": 828, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/828", "long_id": "MPL00828", "place": "Tarraco", "text": "Ornate ea qu(a)e linqu[it specio]se vit[ae] suae r\u2026", "thumbnail_url": null, "title": "Inscription from Tarraco \u2013 Tarragona (Hispania citerior) - HD014575"}, {"coords": [41.1849, 1.20999], "id": 961, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/961", "long_id": "MPL00961", "place": "Tarraco", "text": "Aspice quam subito marcet quod floruit ante aspice\u2026", "thumbnail_url": null, "title": "Epitaph from Tarraco \u2013 Tarragona (Hispania citerior) - HD046493"}, {"coords": [41.1849, 1.20999], "id": 967, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/967", "long_id": "MPL00967", "place": "Tarraco", "text": "D(is) M(anibus) Aurel(iae) Paulinae filiae. O cru-\u2026", "thumbnail_url": "https://institucional.us.es/cleo/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/t11.jpg", "title": "Funerary inscription for Aurelia Paulina"}, {"coords": [41.1849, 1.20999], "id": 973, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/973", "long_id": "MPL00973", "place": "Tarraco", "text": "Optime magnarum [antistes] cui maxima reru[m est] \u2026", "thumbnail_url": null, "title": "Epitaph from Tarraco \u2013 Tarragona (Hispania citerior) - HD050135"}, {"coords": [41.3888, 2.15899], "id": 979, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/979", "long_id": "MPL00979", "place": "Barcino", "text": "[Ni]grinus X[---annorum] caeliti co[etu dignus] to\u2026", "thumbnail_url": null, "title": "Epitaph from Barcino \u2013 Barcelona (Hispania citerior) - HD050807"}, {"coords": [41.3888, 2.15899], "id": 980, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/980", "long_id": "MPL00980", "place": "Barcino", "text": "[Levis te vehat] unda et rade po[ntum magnum]", "thumbnail_url": null, "title": "Epitaph from Barcino \u2013 Barcelona (Hispania citerior) - HD050808"}, {"coords": [41.5347, 2.08222], "id": 944, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/944", "long_id": "MPL00944", "place": "Sant Quirze del Vall\u00e8s", "text": "Felici misero p(o)enarum pondera pelle XP(Christ)\u2026", "thumbnail_url": null, "title": "Votive inscription from S. Quirze de la Serra (Hispania citerior) - HD042072"}, {"coords": [44.1368, 4.80792], "id": 2074, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/2074", "long_id": "MPL02074", "place": "Arausio", "text": "Amo te.", "thumbnail_url": null, "title": "Fibula with love dedication from Arausio"}]

Object Details

Object Type	block
Material	limestone
State of Preservation	complete
Dimensions	width: 84.0 cm height: 98.0 cm depth: 53.0 cm
Letter Size in cm (min)	4.0
Letter Size in cm (max)	52.0
Execution Technique	chiselled
Religion	Pagan

Decoration

Decoration and Iconography	Inscription surmounted by a diptychon. On the left, grinding mill operated by a donkey with blinders. On the right, seating dog with collar and bell, above it a taurobolic altar topped by pulvini.
Decoration Tags	Animal / dog Architecture / Altar Architecture/ Diptychon Scene / Profession Animal / Donkey Object / Mill

Verse Layouts

Prose Verse Presence	Praescriptum + carmen
Prose Verse Distinction	No distinction
Layout Types (Prose)	Centered
Layout Types (Verse)	Centered
Scriptio Continua in verse part	no
Abbreviations in verse part	no
Verse Line Correspondence	No, just uses all available space
Graphic Signs and Spaces for Easier Carmen Reading	To separate words - Interpunction

Text

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

Inscription & Translations

Diplomatic Interpretative Verse Visualisation

MCAREIEVSMLASIS..IS[]
VIVOSSIBIFECITETCAREIE
NIGELLAEETCAREIA͡EMFTERTI[]
[]NORVI

MATERCVMGNATA
5[]ACEOMISERA«B»ILEFATOQVA[]
VRAETVNADIESDETVLTA[]
CINERE

M(arcus) Careieus M(arci) l(ibertus) Asisạ p̣is[tor]
vivos sibi fecit et Careie<ae>
Nigellae et Carei<e>a͡e M(arci) f(iliae) Tertiạ[e]
[an]nor(um) VI.

Mater cum gnata
5[i]aceo misera«b»ile fato, qua[s]
p̣ura et una dies detul<i>t a[d]
cinere<s>.

M(arcus) Careieus M(arci) l(ibertus) Asisạ p̣is[tor] vivos sibi fecit et Careie<ae> Nigellae et Carei<e>a͡e M(arci) f(iliae) Tertiạ[e an]nor(um) VI.

Mater cum gnata [i]aceo misera«b»ile fato,
qua[s] p̣ura et una dies detul<i>t a[d] cinere<s>.

Apparatus

l.2 reg., orig. vivos
l.4 reg., orig. gnata

Text follows ILN. Picture checked by Spalla 2025.
l. 1: Asisabisio, Héron de Villefosse; AE 1908; Lommatzsch.

Main Translation

Translation	Marcus Careieus Asisa, freedman of Marcus and baker, made this while still alive for himself, for Careiea Nigella and for Careiea Tertia, daughter of Marcus, six years of age. By wretched fate I, the mother, lie here with my daughter, whom the pyre and a single day gave to the ashes.
Citation	Fabio Spalla

Other Translations

Madre e hija, juntas, a quienes un único y mismo día convirtió en cenizas, estamos aquí enterradas por culpa de un desdichado azar. (Spanish, C. Fernández Martínez)
Marcus Careieus Asisa, affranchi de Marcus, boulanger, de son vivant (a fait faire ce monument) pour lui-même et pour Careia Nigella et Careia Tertia, fille de Marcus, âgée de 6 ans. Mère, je gis ici avec mon enfant en raison d'un triste destin: (nous qu')un seul et même jour a réduites en cendres. (French , M. L. Bonsangue)
Marco Careyo Asisa, liberto de Marco, el panadero, se lo hizo en vida, para él, para Careya Nigella y para Careya Tertia, hija de Marco, de seis años. Por un hado desgraciado yazco con mi hija, yo, su madre, a las que un solo día y la pira nos entregó a las cenizas. (Spanish, H. Belloc)

Prosopographical Information

Name Marcus Careieus Asisa
Gender Male
Legal Status Freedman / Freedwoman
Profession Other profession
Role Dedicator
Name Careiea Nigella
Gender Female
Role Dedicatee
Name Careiea Tertia
Gender Female
Age Range Infant (0–12) [expression: Canonical, precision: high]
Role Dedicatee

Name	Marcus Careieus Asisa
Gender	Male
Legal Status	Freedman / Freedwoman
Profession	Other profession
Role	Dedicator

Name	Careiea Nigella
Gender	Female
Role	Dedicatee

Name	Careiea Tertia
Gender	Female
Age Range	Infant (0–12) [expression: Canonical, precision: high]
Role	Dedicatee

Further Information

Comment

Dating proposed by Pena. Gayraud dates the inscription to the 2nd century AD, while Raepsaet to the seond half of the 1st century AD, though both provide no criteria.

Squeeze

Have Squeeze?	no

Dating

Date (From)	1 AD
Date (To)	50 AD
Date (Criteria)	palaeography language

Bibliography

CLE 02079
ILGN, 00583
ILN 09, 00250 (with French translation and photos, 794-795)
A. Héron de Villefosse, Monument funéraire découvert à Narbonne en août 1908, Comp. Rend. Ac. Inscr. 7 52 (1908), 496-498 (with photo, 497) - AE 1908 🔗 link
AE 1908, 00186
M. Gayraud, Narbonne antique. Des origines à la fin du IIIe siècle, Paris 1981, 545 (also on alternative dating) 🔗 link
C. Fernández Martínez, Poesía epigráfica latina II, Madrid 1999, 307, nr. 2079 (Spanish translation of the elegiac couplet) 🔗 link
É. Dellong, Carte archéologique de la Gaule 11.1: Narbonne et le Narbonnais, Paris 2003, 438, nr. 230 (with photo, fig. 555) 🔗 link
M. Pena, El epitafio de un panadero de Narbona. In: A. Ezquerra (ed.), J. González Castro (ed.), Actas del XI congreso de la Sociedad Espanola de Estudios Clasicos, 15 al 20 de septiembre de 2003. Universidad de Santiago de Compostela (A Coruña), Vol. 1, Madrid 2005, 547-555 (also on dating) - AE 2005 🔗 link
AE 2005, 01016
A. Wilson, K. Schörle, A baker's funerary relief from Rome, Pap. Brit. Sch. Roma 77 (2009), 112-114 (with photo, 114, fig. 15) 🔗 link
G. Raepsaet, Mola Asinaria. L’helcium et la traction attelée du moulin « pompéien ». À propos du moulin de Marcus Careius Asisa à Narbonne (Inv. 08. 2.1), Revue archéologique de Narbonnaise 50 (2017), 359, nr. 3 (with photo, fig. 4; also on alternative dating) 🔗 link
P. Ouzoulias, Les céréales vêtues dans l'Antiquité: menues observations en hommage à François Sigaut. In: F. Lerouxel (ed.), J. Zurbach (ed.), Le changement dans les économies antiques, Bordeaux 2020, 86-87 (with French translation and photo, 87, fig. 2) 🔗 link
CLEO N147 (with Spanish translation) 🔗 link
EDCS-13302260 🔗 link
HD020741 🔗 link
MQDQ 🔗 link

Images

Editing History

Created	2025-06-25, by Fabio Spalla
Work Status	Confirmed
Import Notice

Revisions

by Fabio Spalla
at 2025-06-18 09:32
by Fabio Spalla
at 2025-06-18 10:25
by Fabio Spalla
at 2025-06-18 10:47
by Fabio Spalla
at 2025-06-18 12:49
by Fabio Spalla
at 2025-06-18 13:56
by Fabio Spalla
at 2025-06-18 13:58
by Fabio Spalla
at 2025-06-18 14:01
by Fabio Spalla
at 2025-06-18 14:03
by Fabio Spalla
at 2025-06-18 14:09
by Fabio Spalla
at 2025-06-18 14:10
by Chiara Cenati
at 2025-06-25 17:51

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