Inscriptions: Epitaph of Marcus Cornelius Pollio, Marcus Cornelius Urbanus and Marcus Cornelius Celer by the freedwoman Cornelia Iucunda

Identification

Reference as:	MPL02229
Title	Epitaph of Marcus Cornelius Pollio, Marcus Cornelius Urbanus and Marcus Cornelius Celer by the freedwoman Cornelia Iucunda
Trismegistos-No.	379345

Object

Provenance and Location

Find Place	Emerita Augusta
Find Context	Site of the former "Hernán Cortés" artillery barracks.
Latitude	38.9191
Longitude	-6.33871
Current Location	Mérida, Museo Nacional de Arte Romano
Inventory number	669
Current Location Details	Floor 2, Hall VII.
Vicinity	[{"coords": [38.9191, -6.33871], "id": 2229, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/2229", "long_id": "MPL02229", "place": "Emerita Augusta", "text": "M(arco) Cornelio M(arci) f(ilio) Pap(iria) Pollio[\u2026", "thumbnail_url": "https://cil2digital.web.uah.es/images/editores/directorio-epigrafias/607-CILAE/CILAE_607.2_H._Gimeno.JPG", "title": "Epitaph of Marcus Cornelius Pollio, Marcus Cornelius Urbanus and Marcus Cornelius Celer by the freedwoman Cornelia Iucunda"}, {"coords": [38.9161, -6.3401], "id": 2221, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/2221", "long_id": "MPL02221", "place": "Emerita Augusta", "text": "M(arcus) Helvius, (mulieris) lib(ertus), Mar-sua, \u2026", "thumbnail_url": null, "title": "Epitaph of the freed couple Marcus Helvius Marsua and Mallia Galla"}, {"coords": [38.9161, -6.3401], "id": 2225, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/2225", "long_id": "MPL02225", "place": "Emerita Augusta", "text": "Iulia C(ai) f(ilia) Anulla hic sita est, fato p\u2026", "thumbnail_url": "https://db.edcs.eu/epigr/bilder/$Edmondson-2021_00007.jpg", "title": "Epitaph of Iulia Anulla and of the freedwoman Candilia Iucunda by the freedman Lucius Iulius Felix"}, {"coords": [37.3827, -5.99629], "id": 246, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/246", "long_id": "MPL00246", "place": "Hispalis", "text": "Nome vixit anno et mensibus VIII diebus XII h(ic) \u2026", "thumbnail_url": null, "title": "Epitaph for Nome"}, {"coords": [37.3621, -6.67894], "id": 801, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/801", "long_id": "MPL00801", "place": "Ilipula", "text": "Terrenum corpus caelestis spiritus in me quo repen\u2026", "thumbnail_url": null, "title": "Funerary inscription for Fabatus"}, {"coords": [37.4742, -4.42594], "id": 802, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/802", "long_id": "MPL00802", "place": "Igabrum", "text": "[--?]N(?)atius L(uci) [f(ilius)---] [flame]n sacro\u2026", "thumbnail_url": null, "title": "Epitaph from Igabrum, bei \u2013 Fuente de las Piedras (Baetica) - HD001212"}, {"coords": [37.5409, -5.07995], "id": 810, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/810", "long_id": "MPL00810", "place": "Astigi", "text": "[\u2066 - - - - - - - - - - \u2069] [---]ri(?) aliis(?) [iam\u2026", "thumbnail_url": null, "title": "Epitaph from Astigi \u2013 \u00c9cija (Baetica) - HD002943"}, {"coords": [37.5409, -5.07995], "id": 882, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/882", "long_id": "MPL00882", "place": "Astigi", "text": "[\u2066 - - - - - - - - - - \u2069] sic nam memor[---] studi\u2026", "thumbnail_url": null, "title": "Epitaph from Astigi, bei \u2013 \u00c9cija, bei (Baetica) - HD031994"}, {"coords": [37.5409, -5.07995], "id": 883, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/883", "long_id": "MPL00883", "place": "Astigi", "text": "L(ucius) Petronius L(ucii) f(ilius) Primus hic sit\u2026", "thumbnail_url": null, "title": "Epitaph of Lucius Petronius Primus by his wife"}, {"coords": [37.6886, -4.4796], "id": 813, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/813", "long_id": "MPL00813", "place": "Soricaria", "text": "T\u0323[e], l\u0323apis, obtestor, le-vite\u0323r\u0323 super ossa\u0323 re\u2026", "thumbnail_url": "https://institucional.us.es/cleo/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/co3.jpg", "title": "Epitaph of the slave Graeca by her husband Iacchus and an anonymous dedicator"}, {"coords": [38.4751, -4.67948], "id": 814, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/814", "long_id": "MPL00814", "place": "Solia", "text": "[Me donec vivam dolor excruci]abit acerbu[s] [stir\u2026", "thumbnail_url": null, "title": "Epitaph from Solia, bei \u2013 Fuencaliente (Baetica) - HD003968"}, {"coords": [37.2245, -5.31238], "id": 2223, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/2223", "long_id": "MPL02223", "place": "Carula", "text": "Firma ((hedera)) Epaphroditi ann(orum) ((hedera)) \u2026", "thumbnail_url": null, "title": "Epitaph of the freedwoman Firma"}, {"coords": [37.2466, -5.09928], "id": 819, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/819", "long_id": "MPL00819", "place": "Urso", "text": "Fabia Ianuaria, ann(orum) XXV, pia in suis.- Qui\u2026", "thumbnail_url": "https://centrocil.web.uah.es/fotos_cilii/5/cilii5,01118.jpg", "title": "Epitaph of the freedwoman Fabia Ianuaria by her patron Fabius Venustus"}, {"coords": [37.2466, -5.09928], "id": 820, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/820", "long_id": "MPL00820", "place": "Urso", "text": "Ferraria T(iti) f(ilia) Iu[---ann(orum)] XVI h(ic)\u2026", "thumbnail_url": null, "title": "Epitaph from Urso \u2013 Osuna (Baetica) - HD006398"}, {"coords": [37.2466, -5.09928], "id": 878, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/878", "long_id": "MPL00878", "place": "Urso", "text": "------ C(ai) l(ibertus) Faustus, XX ann(orum), h(\u2026", "thumbnail_url": null, "title": "Epitaph of the freedman Faustus"}, {"coords": [37.2466, -5.09928], "id": 880, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/880", "long_id": "MPL00880", "place": "Urso", "text": "Valeria [. l(iberta?) Crene], an(norum) XL, p(ia) \u2026", "thumbnail_url": "https://institucional.us.es/cleo/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/se18.jpg", "title": "Epitaph of Valeria Crene"}, {"coords": [37.2466, -5.09928], "id": 881, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/881", "long_id": "MPL00881", "place": "Urso", "text": "------ L(- - -) L(- - -). XX tecum transfers non\u2026", "thumbnail_url": null, "title": "Epitaph to an unknown dedicatee from Urso"}, {"coords": [37.8847, -4.77917], "id": 821, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/821", "long_id": "MPL00821", "place": "Corduba", "text": "Column A: [--- n]o\u0323verat unum [---]t et pia nutri\u2026", "thumbnail_url": "https://institucional.us.es/cleo/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/co15.jpg", "title": "Epitaph of Festus"}, {"coords": [37.8847, -4.77917], "id": 2205, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/2205", "long_id": "MPL02205", "place": "Corduba", "text": "T(itus) Acclenus T(iti) f(ilius) Qui(rina) cent(ur\u2026", "thumbnail_url": "https://db.edcs.eu/epigr/bilder/$MS_CIL_02-07_00287.jpg", "title": "Epitaph of Titus Acclenus, Annia Helena and Decimus Vergilius Amarantus"}, {"coords": [37.8847, -4.77917], "id": 2210, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/2210", "long_id": "MPL02210", "place": "Corduba", "text": "Nominibus cunctis digno laudata p\u0323u\u0323d\u0323[ore] Servil\u2026", "thumbnail_url": "https://institucional.us.es/cleo/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/co9.jpg", "title": "Epitaph of Servilia from Corduba"}, {"coords": [37.8847, -4.77917], "id": 2217, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/2217", "long_id": "MPL02217", "place": "Corduba", "text": "Ac\u0323tius mur(millo), ((hedera)) vic(it) VI, an(n)o(\u2026", "thumbnail_url": "https://institucional.us.es/cleo/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/co11.jpg", "title": "Epitaph of the gladiator Actius by his wife"}, {"coords": [37.8847, -4.77917], "id": 2236, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/2236", "long_id": "MPL02236", "place": "Corduba", "text": "Hirria, L(uci) f(ilia), Pa[---] hic sita est, ann[\u2026", "thumbnail_url": null, "title": "Epitaph of Hirria and of the freedwoman Petilia Marta"}, {"coords": [37.4481, -6.36364], "id": 874, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/874", "long_id": "MPL00874", "place": "Tucci", "text": "Caesia T(iti) f(ilia) Celsa an(norum) LXV h(ic) s(\u2026", "thumbnail_url": null, "title": "Epitaph from Tucci, bei \u2013 Torredelcampo (Baetica) - HD029284"}, {"coords": [38.6193, -7.40856], "id": 958, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/958", "long_id": "MPL00958", "place": "S. Miguel da Mota", "text": "[\u2066 - - - - - - - - - - \u2069]ir[o [---]] [---fa]ma per\u2026", "thumbnail_url": null, "title": "Inscription from S. Miguel da Mota (Lusitania) - HD045630"}, {"coords": [37.7073, -5.34643], "id": 2218, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/2218", "long_id": "MPL02218", "place": "Celti", "text": "D(is) M(anibus) s(acrum). Atimeti lib(erta) Fabia \u2026", "thumbnail_url": "https://institucional.us.es/cleo/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/se23.jpg", "title": "Epitaph of the freedwoman Fabia Merope"}]

Object Details

Object Type	slab
Material	marble
State of Preservation	incomplete
Dimensions	width: 52.0 cm height: 80.0 cm depth: 9.0 cm
Letter Size in cm (min)	2.3
Letter Size in cm (max)	4.0
Execution Technique	chiselled
Religion	Pagan

Decoration

Decoration and Iconography	Inscription within moulded frame.
Decoration Tags	Architecture / Moulding Architecture / frame

Verse Layouts

Prose Verse Presence	Praescriptum + carmen + subscriptum
Prose Verse Distinction	Yes, by bigger lettering in prose Yes, by different layout Yes, by vacat
Layout Types (Prose)	Left aligned Right aligned
Layout Types (Verse)	Right aligned
Scriptio Continua in verse part	no
Abbreviations in verse part	no
Verse Line Correspondence	No
Graphic Signs and Spaces for Easier Carmen Reading	To separate verses - Vacat To separate words - Interpunction To mark pentameter’s diaeresis

Text

Function	funerary inscription
Language(s)	Latin
Verse Type(s)	Dactylic hexameter Dactylic pentameter Dactylic rhythm
Rhythmisation	Quantitative scheme

Inscription & Translations

Diplomatic Interpretative Verse Visualisation

MCORNELIOMFPAPPOLLIO[]
MCORNELIOVRBANO
MCORNELIOCELERI
CORNELIAMLIVCVNDA(scil FECIT)

5SICNVNCQVAMFORTVNASINATTENOSSEDOLO[]

PRAETERISSEPOTES QVAMPIVSOIVVENIS
SITDATVSINFLAMMASNOSSEDOLORISERIT

NVNCPETITI[]

QVISQVISADESDICAS:SITTIBITERRALEVIS

H[]

M(arco) Cornelio M(arci) f(ilio) Pap(iria) Pollio[ni],
M(arco) Cornelio Urbano,
M(arco) Cornelio Celeri,
Cornelia M(arci) l(iberta) Iucunda (scil. fecit).

5Sic nuncquam Fortuna sinat te nosse dolo[rem];

praeterisse potes. ( vac. 3) Quam pius, o, iuvenis
sit datus in flammas nosse doloris erit. ( vac. 3)

Nunc petit i[pse],

quisquis ades, dicas: sit tibi terra levis.

( vac. 5) H(ic) [s(iti) s(unt)].

M(arco) Cornelio M(arci) f(ilio) Pap(iria) Pollio[ni], M(arco) Cornelio Urbano, M(arco) Cornelio Celeri, Cornelia M(arci) l(iberta) Iucunda (scil. fecit).

Sic nuncquam Fortuna sinat te nosse dolo[rem];

praeterisse potes. ( vac. 3) Quam pius, o, iuvenis
sit datus in flammas nosse doloris erit. ( vac. 3)

Nunc petit i[pse],

quisquis ades, dicas: sit tibi terra levis.

( vac. 5) H(ic) [s(iti) s(unt)].

Apparatus

l.5 reg., orig. nuncquam | reg., orig. nosse

Text follows CLE. Picture checked by Spalla 2025.
l. 1: Pollio, Mariner; Zarker. Pollio (an Pollioni?), CLEHisp.
l. 3: Celeris, Zarker.
l. 5: nunquam, Zarker; Ramírez Sádaba 2008, 2013.
l. 6: pote, Zarker.
l. 8: h(ic) [s(ita) s(unt)], Zarker. H(ic) s(itus) e(st), Ramírez Sádaba 2008, 2013.

Main Translation

Translation	Cornelia Iucunda, freedwoman of Marcus, made this for Marcus Cornelius Pollio, son of Marcus, of the Papiria voting tribe, for Marcus Cornelius Urbanus, and for Marcus Cornelius Celer. May Fortune never let you know pain; you may pass by. Oh! What pain it will be to know that such a devoted youth was consigned to the flames! Now he himself asks that, whoever stands by, says: "May the earth be light upon you". They lie here.
Citation	Fabio Spalla

Other Translations

A Marco Cornelio Polión, hijo de Marco, de la tribu Papiria. A Marco Cornelio Urbano. A Marco Cornelio Céler. Cornelia Jucunda, liberta de Marco. ¡Ojalá Fortuna no te permita nunca conocer este dolor! Puedes pasar de largo. Motivo de dolor será saber cuán piadoso joven, ay, ha sido entregado a las llamas. Ahora él mismo te pide: ‘tu que te acercas, seas quien seas, di: que la tierra te sea ligera’. Aquí están enterrados. (Spanish, J. Del Hoyo Calleja, C. Fernández Martínez, J. Gómez Pallarès, J. M. Escolà Tusset, J. Martínez Gázquez)

Prosopographical Information

Name Marcus Cornelius Pollio
Gender Male
Role Dedicatee
Name Marcus Cornelius Urbanus
Gender Male
Role Dedicatee
Name Marcus Cornelius Celer
Gender Male
Role Dedicatee
Name Cornelia Iucunda
Gender Female
Role Dedicator

Name	Marcus Cornelius Pollio
Gender	Male
Role	Dedicatee

Name	Marcus Cornelius Urbanus
Gender	Male
Role	Dedicatee

Name	Marcus Cornelius Celer
Gender	Male
Role	Dedicatee

Name	Cornelia Iucunda
Gender	Female
Role	Dedicator

Further Information

Comment

Dating proposed by Mariner Bigorra.

Squeeze

Have Squeeze?	no

Dating

Date (From)	101 AD
Date (To)	200 AD
Date (Criteria)	palaeography

Bibliography

ILER 05809
CLEHisp 00070
CLE 02384
S. Mariner Bigorra, Inscripciones hispanas en verso, Madrid 1952, 45, 59, 220-222 (also on dating) 🔗 link
J. Zarker, Studies in the Carmina Latina Epigraphica, Princeton 1958, 216-217, nr. 114. 🔗 link
J. Mangas Mangarrés, Esclavos y libertos en la España romana, Salamanca 1971, 323, 463. 🔗 link
G. Forni, La tribù Papiria di Augusta Emerita. In: A. Blanco Freijeiro (ed.), Augusta Emerita. Actas del Simposio Internacional commemorativo del Bimilenario de Merida, 16 - 20 de Noviembre de 1975, Madrid 1976, 34. 🔗 link
J. Ramírez Sádaba, Cultura literaria en la epigrafía funeraria emeritense (inscripciones paganas). In: Actas del VIII Congreso Español de Estudios Clásicos : Madrid, 23 al 28 de septiembre de 1991, Madrid 1994, 823-827, nr. 5. 🔗 link
V. Soria Sánchez, Catalogación de inscripciones recientes de Extremadura. In: Actas del XXII Congreso Nacional de Arqueología, Vigo 1993, Vol. 2, Vigo 1995, 385. 🔗 link
R. Hernández Pérez, Poesía latina sepulcral de la Hispania romana: estudios de los tópicos y sus formulaciones, Valencia 2001, 236-237, nr. 245, 252, 276-277. 🔗 link
J. del Hoyo, La ordinatio en los CLE Hispaniae. In: J. del Hoyo (ed.), J. Gómez Pallarès (ed.), Asta ac pellege. 50 años de la publicación de Inscripciones Hispanas en Verso, de S. Mariner, Madrid 2002, 152. 🔗 link
P. Cugusi, Carmina Latina Epigraphica e novellismo. Cultura di centro e cultura di provincia: contenuti e metodologia di ricerca, Mat. Disc. An. testi Clas. 53 (2004), 145. 🔗 link
J. del Hoyo, L. Hernández Guerra, Cultura literaria en la Hispania de los Antoninos. In: J. del Hoyo, L. Hernández Guerra, Actas del II Congreso internacional de Historia Antigua: La Hispania de los Antoninos (98-180); Valladolid, 10, 11 y 12 de noviembre de 2004, Valladolid 2005, 435. 🔗 link
J. Ramírez Sádaba, La reconstrucción de las estructuras socioeconómicas y culturales a través de la epigrafía. In: C. M. Cabanillas Nuñez (ed.), J. Á. Calero Carretero (ed.), Actas de las V y VI Jornadas de Humanidades Clásicas, Mérida 2008, 84. 🔗 link
J. Ramírez Sádaba, Evolución de los CLE en Augusta Emerita: del paganismo a las composiciones cristianas. In: C. Fernández Martínez (ed.), M. Limón Belén (ed.) et al., Ex officina. Literatura epigráfica en verso, Seville 2013, 363-367 (with photo, 363, fig. 4) 🔗 link
CILAE 607 (with Spanish translation) 🔗 link
CLEO BA12 (with Spanish translation) 🔗 link
EDCS-42700422 🔗 link
MQDQ 🔗 link

Images

Epitaph of Marcus Cornelius Pollio, Marcus Cornelius Urbanus and Marcus Cornelius Celer by the freedwoman Cornelia Iucunda.
Source: CILAE 607 (c) H. Gimeno

Editing History

Created	2025-09-13, by Fabio Spalla
Work Status	Complete
Import Notice

Revisions

by Fabio Spalla
at 2025-09-10 14:25
by Fabio Spalla
at 2025-09-10 14:43
by Fabio Spalla
at 2025-09-10 15:31
by Fabio Spalla
at 2025-09-10 15:32
by Fabio Spalla
at 2025-09-10 15:39
by Chiara Cenati
at 2025-09-13 16:21

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