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Inscriptions: Epitaph of Lucius Claudius Rufinus

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Identification

Reference as: MPL02185
Title Epitaph of Lucius Claudius Rufinus
Trismegistos-No. 487394

Object

Provenance and Location

Find Place Lugdunum
Find Context Hill of Fourvière, district of Antiquaille, monastery of the Visitation.
Latitude 0.0
Longitude 0.0
Current Location Lyon, Musée Gallo-Romain Lyon Fourvière
Inventory number AD290
Current Location Details Hall XX
Vicinity

Object Details

Object Type altar
Material limestone
State of Preservation incomplete
Dimensions

width: 50.0 cm

height: 89.0 cm

depth: 45.0 cm

Letter Size in cm (min) 2.0
Letter Size in cm (max) 2.5
Execution Technique chiselled
Religion Pagan

Decoration

Decoration and Iconography Altar with moulded base and pulvinus, part of praescriptum written on architrave. Ascia within D(is) M(anibus) formula on pediment, now lost.
Decoration Tags
  • Architecture / Altar
  • Architecture / Moulding
  • Architecture / Pediment
  • Architecture / architrave
  • Architecture / pulvinus
  • Object / Ascia

Verse Layouts

  • Prose Verse PresencePraescriptum + carmen + subscriptum
    Prose Verse Distinction
    • Yes, by bigger lettering in prose
    Layout Types (Prose)
    • Centered
    Layout Types (Verse)
    • Centered
    Scriptio Continua in verse partno
    Abbreviations in verse partyes
    Verse Line CorrespondenceNo, just uses all available space
    Graphic Signs and Spaces for Easier Carmen Reading
    • To separate verses - Vacat
    • To separate words - Interpunction

Text

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

Inscription & Translations

[]Architrave:
[]AETERNAELCLRVFINI
Epigraphifc field:

CLHVNC[]SSTYGIASRVFINVS
ADVMBRAS      INSTITVIT
5[]ITVLVMPOSTANIMAEREQV
[]EM      QVITESTISVITAEFATI
SITLEGE[]VR[]      CVMDO
M͡VSACCI[][]ACORPVSHA
BENS      QVODQVEMEAM
10RETINETVOCDATALITTE
RASAXO      V[]V͡AVIVET
QVISQVELEG[]LOS      
[]OTTIOHICSI[]IVVE
[]ILIROBOREVONDAM
15[]IBIMOXQS[]NVTRIC[]
MRCIANEIT[]VERINA
[]ONLACTIAEHAECMONI
MENTADEDIT      
ETSVBASCDEDICA͡VIT
20CVRAN͡T͡ECLSEQVENT͡EPATRONO
[D(is) ((ascia)) M(anibus)] Architrave:
[et m(emoriae)] aeternae L(uci) Cl(audii) Rufini.
Epigraphifc field:

Cl(audius) hunc [vi<v>u]s Stygias Rufinus
ad umbras ( vac. 3) instituit
5[t]itulum, post animae requ-
[i]em ( vac. 3) qui testis vitae fati
sit lege [fut]ur[us], ( vac. 3) cum do-
m͡us acci[piet] ṣ[axe]a corpus ha-
bens. ( vac. 3) Quodque meam
10retinet vocẹṃ data litte-
ra saxo, ( vac. 3) vọ[ce t]u͡a vivet,
quisque legẹ[s titu]los. ( vac. 3)
[R]ottio hic siṭ[us es]ṭ iuve-
[n]ili robore q̣uondam
15[qui s]ibi moxq(ue) s[uae] nutric[i]
Mạrcian<a>e, it[e]ṃ Verinaẹ
[c]onlactiae haec moni-
menta dedit ( vac. 3)
et sub asc(ia) dedica͡vit,
20curan͡t͡e Cl(audio) Sequent͡e patrono.
[D(is) ((ascia)) M(anibus)] Architrave: [et m(emoriae)] aeternae L(uci) Cl(audii) Rufini.
Epigraphifc field:

Cl(audius) hunc [vi<v>u]s Stygias Rufinus ad umbras ( vac. 3)
instituit [t]itulum, post animae requ[i]em ( vac. 3)
qui testis vitae fati sit lege [fut]ur[us], ( vac. 3)
cum dom͡us acci[piet] ṣ[axe]a corpus habens. ( vac. 3)
Quodque meam retinet vocẹṃ data littera saxo, ( vac. 3)
vọ[ce t]u͡a vivet, quisque legẹ[s titu]los. ( vac. 3)
[R]ottio hic siṭ[us es]ṭ iuve[n]ili robore q̣uondam
[qui s]ibi moxq(ue) s[uae] nutric[i] Mạrcian<a>e, it[e]ṃ Verinaẹ [c]onlactiae haec monimenta dedit ( vac. 3)
et sub asc(ia) dedica͡vit, curan͡t͡e Cl(audio) Sequent͡e patrono.
Apparatus

l.17 reg., orig. conlactiae

Text follows CIL. Picture checked by Spalla 2025.
ll. 1-2: [d. M. et quiet]i aeternae, CLE.
l. 13: Rottio, alternative name of Rufinus, CLE.
ll. 15-18: altered verse to fit two pentameters in one, CLE.

Main Translation

Translation To the Manes and to the eternal mamory of Lucius Claudius Rufinus.

Claudius Rufinus made this altar while still alive before the Stygian shadows, so that, after the rest of his soul, it would bear witness to his life, following the law of destiny, when a stone abode welcomes him enclosing his body. And since the stone retains my voice in carved letters, it will live again in your voice, whoever it is who reads these verses. Here lies Rottio, once strong in his youth, who arranged these monuments and dedicated them under the ascia to himself and then to his wet nurse Marciana, as well as to his foster sister Verina, his patron Claudius Sequens remaining in charge of them.
Citation Fabio Spalla

Other Translations

Prosopographical Information

  • NameLucius Claudius Rufinus
    GenderMale
    RoleDedicator
  • NameMarciana
    GenderFemale
    ProfessionOther profession
    RoleDedicatee
  • NameVerina
    GenderFemale
    RoleDedicatee
  • NameClaudius Sequens
    GenderMale

Further Information

Comment

Dating proposed by Fernández Martínez and Limón Belén (CLEO).

Squeeze

Have Squeeze? no

Dating

Date (From) 251 AD
Date (To) 300 AD
Date (Criteria)
  • palaeography

Bibliography

Images

  • Epitaph of Lucius Claudius Rufinus.

    Epitaph of Lucius Claudius Rufinus.

    Source: CLEO L005 (c) C. Fernández Martínez.

Editing History

Created 2025-07-16, by Fabio Spalla
Work Status Complete
Import Notice
Revisions
  1. by Fabio Spalla
    at 2025-07-01 12:04
  2. by Fabio Spalla
    at 2025-07-01 12:40
  3. by Fabio Spalla
    at 2025-07-01 12:56
  4. by Fabio Spalla
    at 2025-07-01 12:59
  5. by Fabio Spalla
    at 2025-07-02 13:14
  6. by Chiara Cenati
    at 2025-07-13 16:14
  7. by Fabio Spalla
    at 2025-07-14 15:47
  8. by Fabio Spalla
    at 2025-07-14 15:48
  9. by Chiara Cenati
    at 2025-07-16 18:41
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