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Inscriptions: Epitaph of the child slave Vitalis

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Identification

Reference as: MPL02181
Title Epitaph of the child slave Vitalis
Trismegistos-No. 437845

Object

Provenance and Location

Find Place Arelate
Find Context District of Alyscamps, Roman necropolis, around 1850.
Latitude 0.0
Longitude 0.0
Current Location Arles, Musée départemental Arles antique
Inventory number FAN. 92. 00. 326.
Current Location Details
Vicinity

Object Details

Object Type stele
Material limestone
State of Preservation complete
Dimensions

width: 32.0 cm

height: 89.0 cm

depth: 11.2 cm

Letter Size in cm (min) 3.3
Letter Size in cm (max) 4.8
Execution Technique chiselled
Religion Pagan

Decoration

Decoration and Iconography
Decoration Tags

Verse Layouts

  • Prose Verse PresencePraescriptum + carmen
    Prose Verse Distinction
    • No distinction
    Layout Types (Prose)
    • Centered
    Layout Types (Verse)
    • Centered
    Scriptio Continua in verse partno
    Abbreviations in verse partno
    Verse Line CorrespondenceNo, 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)
  • Iambic senarius
Rhythmisation Quantitative scheme

Inscription & Translations

VITALISM
VERATICLARI(scil. SERVVS)
ANNVHICSEST

INSPEXILVCEM
5SVBITOQVAEER
EPTAESTMIHI
ITANEQVEDOM
INOLIQVITEM͡A͡E
GAVDIAPERCIPE
10RENECMESCI
REQVIDNATVS
FOREM
Vitalis M(arci)
Verati<i> Clari (scil. servus)
ann(orum) V hic s(itus) est.

Inspexi lucem
5subito quae er-
epta est mihi;
ita neque dom-
ino liquit e m͡a͡e
gaudia percipe-
10re, nec me sci-
re quid natus
forem.
Vitalis M(arci) Verati<i> Clari (scil. servus) ann(orum) V hic s(itus) est.

Inspexi lucem subito quae erepta est mihi;
ita neque domino liquit e m͡a͡e gaudia
percipere, nec me scire quid natus forem.
Apparatus

l.8 reg., orig. liquit | reg., orig. mae

Text follows CIL. Picture checked by Spalla 2025.

Main Translation

Translation Here lies Vitalis, five years old, slave of Marcus Veratius Clarus.

I saw the light which was suddenly taken away from me; so my master could receive no joy from me, nor could I know what I was born to be.
Citation Fabio Spalla

Other Translations

Prosopographical Information

  • NameVitalis
    GenderMale
    Age RangeInfant (0–12) [expression: Canonical, precision: high]
    Legal StatusSlave
    RoleDedicatee
  • NameMarcus Veratius Clarus
    GenderMale
    RoleDedicator

Further Information

Comment

Dating proposed by Belloc (CLEO).

Squeeze

Have Squeeze? no

Dating

Date (From) 1 AD
Date (To) 100 AD
Date (Criteria)
  • formulae

Bibliography

Images

  • Epitaph of the child slave Vitalis.

    Epitaph of the child slave Vitalis.

    Source: CLEO N046 (c) H. Belloc

Editing History

Created 2025-07-16, by Fabio Spalla
Work Status Complete
Import Notice
Revisions
  1. by Fabio Spalla
    at 2025-06-27 08:49
  2. by Fabio Spalla
    at 2025-06-27 09:01
  3. by Fabio Spalla
    at 2025-06-27 09:03
  4. by Chiara Cenati
    at 2025-07-13 15:31
  5. by Fabio Spalla
    at 2025-07-14 15:36
  6. by Fabio Spalla
    at 2025-07-14 15:37
  7. by Fabio Spalla
    at 2025-07-14 15:38
  8. by Fabio Spalla
    at 2025-07-14 15:42
  9. by Chiara Cenati
    at 2025-07-16 18:30
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