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Inscriptions: Epitaph of the freedwoman Fabia Merope

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Identification

Reference as: MPL02218
Title Epitaph of the freedwoman Fabia Merope
Trismegistos-No. 224414

Object

Provenance and Location

Find Place Celti
Find Context Found by chance on the site of the ancient Celti, before 1975.
Latitude 0.0
Longitude 0.0
Current Location Peñaflor, Ermita de Nuestra Señora de Villadiego
Inventory number
Current Location Details Walled in to the left of the entrance.
Vicinity

Object Details

Object Type stele
Material marble
State of Preservation incomplete
Dimensions

width: 30.0 cm

height: 88.0 cm

depth: 3.0 cm

Letter Size in cm (min) 2.0
Letter Size in cm (max) 5.0
Execution Technique chiselled
Religion Pagan

Decoration

Decoration and Iconography Below the inscription, two large ivy leaves flanking two doves perched on olive branches and pecking grapes placed between them.
Decoration Tags
  • Animal / dove
  • Plant / Fruit
  • Plant / Ivy leaf
  • Plant / branch
  • Plant / grape
  • Plant / Olive

Verse Layouts

  • Prose Verse PresencePraescriptum + carmen
    Prose Verse Distinction
    • Yes, by bigger lettering in prose
    Layout Types (Prose)
    • Centered
    Layout Types (Verse)
    • Centered
    Scriptio Continua in verse partyes
    Abbreviations in verse partno
    Verse Line CorrespondenceNo, just uses all available space

Text

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

Inscription & Translations

DMS
ATIMETILIB
FABIAMER
OPEANNO
5RVMLXXV
PIAINSVIS
HSE
STTL

SIQVANTVMPIETASPOTV
ITTANTVMFORTVNA
10DEDISSETLITTERISAV
RATISSCRIBEREHVNC
TITVLVM
D(is) M(anibus) s(acrum).
Atimeti lib(erta)
Fabia Mer-
ope, anno-
5rum LXXV,
pia in suis,
h(ic) s(ita) e(st).
S(it) t(ibi) t(erra) l(evis).

Si quantum pietas potu-
it tantum fortuna
10dedisset, litteris au-
ratis scribere hunc
titulum.
D(is) M(anibus) s(acrum). Atimeti lib(erta) Fabia Merope, annorum LXXV, pia in suis, h(ic) s(ita) e(st).

S(it) t(ibi) t(erra) l(evis).

Si quantum pietas potuit tantum fortuna dedisset,
litteris auratis scribere hunc titulum.
Apparatus

Text follows CLEBetica. Picture checked by Spalla 2025.

Main Translation

Translation Sacred to the Manes. The freedwoman of Atimetus, Fabia Merope, seventy-five years old, affectionate towards her family, lies here. May the earth be light on you.

If fate had allowed what devotion could have done, I woud have written this epitaph in golden letters.
Citation Fabio Spalla

Other Translations

Prosopographical Information

  • NameFabia Merope
    GenderFemale
    Age RangeSenile (61+) [expression: Canonical, precision: high]
    OriginForeign
    Legal StatusFreedman / Freedwoman
    RoleDedicatee

Further Information

Comment

Dating proposed by Fernández Martínez and Carande Herrero (CLEBetica). Chic García proposes a dating limited to the second half of the 2nd century AD, based on palaeography.

Squeeze

Have Squeeze? no

Dating

Date (From) 151 AD
Date (To) 300 AD
Date (Criteria)
  • palaeography

Bibliography

Images

  • Epitaph of the freedwoman Fabia Merope.

    Epitaph of the freedwoman Fabia Merope.

    Source: CLEO SE23 (c) J. Martín Camacho

Editing History

Created 2025-09-09, by Fabio Spalla
Work Status Complete
Import Notice
Revisions
  1. by Fabio Spalla
    at 2025-08-27 14:12
  2. by Fabio Spalla
    at 2025-08-27 14:37
  3. by Fabio Spalla
    at 2025-08-27 14:39
  4. by Chiara Cenati
    at 2025-09-08 12:44
  5. by Chiara Cenati
    at 2025-09-08 12:46
  6. by Fabio Spalla
    at 2025-09-09 08:07
  7. by Fabio Spalla
    at 2025-09-09 08:10
  8. by Chiara Cenati
    at 2025-09-09 09:41
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