Inscriptions: Epitaph by the poet Lupus

Identification

Reference as:	MPL00840
Title	Epitaph by the poet Lupus
Trismegistos-No.	194289

Object

Provenance and Location

Find Place	Ulcisia Castra
Find Context	Found in 1958 used as a wall of a late antiquity funerary building at the Római sánc utca 36.
Latitude	47.6668
Longitude	19.064
Current Location	Szentendre, Ferenczy Múzeumi Centrum
Inventory number
Current Location Details
Vicinity	[{"coords": [47.6668, 19.064], "id": 840, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/840", "long_id": "MPL00840", "place": "Ulcisia Castra", "text": "Lubrica quassa levis [fragilis bona vel mala falla\u2026", "thumbnail_url": "https://lupa.at/img/D3164_G2.jpg", "title": "Epitaph by the poet Lupus"}, {"coords": [47.5641, 19.0495], "id": 53, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/53", "long_id": "MPL00053", "place": "Aquincum", "text": "Hic sita sum matrona, genus nomen-que Veturia Fort\u2026", "thumbnail_url": "https://lupa.at/img/3019-2.jpg", "title": "Funerary inscription for Veturia"}, {"coords": [47.5641, 19.0495], "id": 59, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/59", "long_id": "MPL00059", "place": "Aquincum", "text": "Memoriae Q(uinti) [Ael](ii) [ Apoll]oni mil(itis) \u2026", "thumbnail_url": "https://lupa.at/img/2908-3.jpg", "title": "Funerary inscription for Q. Aelius Apollonius"}, {"coords": [47.5641, 19.0495], "id": 69, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/69", "long_id": "MPL00069", "place": "Aquincum", "text": "Clausa iacet lapidi coninux pia cara Sabina. Artib\u2026", "thumbnail_url": "https://lupa.at/img/3025-1.jpg", "title": "Funerary inscription for Aelia Sabina"}, {"coords": [47.5641, 19.0495], "id": 846, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/846", "long_id": "MPL00846", "place": "Aquincum", "text": "[Par]vus et exiguam lucem frunitus iniquae Parcae \u2026", "thumbnail_url": null, "title": "Epitaph from Aquincum \u2013 Budapest (Pannonia inferior) - HD018818"}, {"coords": [47.5641, 19.0495], "id": 865, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/865", "long_id": "MPL00865", "place": "Aquincum", "text": "D(is) M(anibus) hic iacet ecce vides pupa sine fi\u2026", "thumbnail_url": null, "title": "Epitaph from Aquincum \u2013 Budapest (Pannonia inferior) - HD024858"}, {"coords": [47.5641, 19.0495], "id": 906, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/906", "long_id": "MPL00906", "place": "Aquincum", "text": "[---]\u03b9\u03b5 [---] [---]\u03c4\u03bf\u03b9\u03c2 \u03b4\u0027 \u1f10\u03c0\u03b9 [---] [---]\u03c3\u03b9\u03bd \u03b6\u03b1\u03b8\u03b5\u2026", "thumbnail_url": null, "title": "Epitaph from Aquincum \u2013 Budapest (Pannonia inferior) - HD035863"}, {"coords": [47.5641, 19.0495], "id": 907, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/907", "long_id": "MPL00907", "place": "Aquincum", "text": "Front: D(is) M(anibus) C(aio) Val(erio) Papirian\u2026", "thumbnail_url": "https://lupa.at/img/0294-3.jpg", "title": "Sarcophagus of C. Valerius Papirianus"}, {"coords": [47.5641, 19.0495], "id": 908, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/908", "long_id": "MPL00908", "place": "Aquincum", "text": "\u039b\u1f73\u03b3\u03bf\u03c5\u03c3\u03b9\u03bd \u1f05 \u03b8\u1f73\u03bb\u03bf\u03c5\u03c3\u03b9\u03bd \u03bb\u03b5\u03b3\u1f73\u03c4\u03c9\u03c3\u03b1\u03bd \u03bf\u1f50 \u03bc\u1f73\u03bb\u03b9 \u03bc\u03bf\u03b9 \u03c3\u03c5\u03c6\u1f77\u03bb\u03b9 \u03bc\u2026", "thumbnail_url": null, "title": "Identification inscription from Aquincum \u2013 Budapest (Pannonia inferior) - HD035889"}, {"coords": [47.5641, 19.0495], "id": 1060, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/1060", "long_id": "MPL01060", "place": "Aquincum", "text": "D(is) M(anibus) et perpetu(a)e securitatem (sic) \u2026", "thumbnail_url": null, "title": "Epitaph from Aquincum \u2013 Budapest (Pannonia inferior) - HD068507"}, {"coords": [47.5641, 19.0495], "id": 1061, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/1061", "long_id": "MPL01061", "place": "Aquincum", "text": "Francus ego cives Romanus miles in armis egregia v\u2026", "thumbnail_url": null, "title": "Epitaph from Aquincum \u2013 Budapest (Pannonia inferior) - HD068602"}, {"coords": [47.5641, 19.0495], "id": 1062, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/1062", "long_id": "MPL01062", "place": "Aquincum", "text": "Q(uintus) Frendull-us Rufus Vicetinus vix(it) n(os\u2026", "thumbnail_url": null, "title": "Epitaph from Aquincum \u2013 Budapest (Pannonia inferior) - HD068603"}, {"coords": [47.5641, 19.0495], "id": 1063, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/1063", "long_id": "MPL01063", "place": "Aquincum", "text": "D(is) M(anibus) s(acrum) Iovine fili quan-tos mi \u2026", "thumbnail_url": null, "title": "Epitaph from Aquincum \u2013 Budapest (Pannonia inferior) - HD068609"}, {"coords": [47.5641, 19.0495], "id": 2073, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/2073", "long_id": "MPL02073", "place": "Aquincum", "text": "Amore amanti s[i a]mas pignus.", "thumbnail_url": null, "title": "Fibula with love dedication found near Budapest "}, {"coords": [47.5641, 19.0495], "id": 2183, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/2183", "long_id": "MPL02183", "place": "Aquincum", "text": "Hic qu(i)escunt duas matres duas filias numero tre\u2026", "thumbnail_url": "https://lupa.at/img/3024-1.jpg", "title": "Funerary inscription set up by the veteran Iulius Herculanus"}, {"coords": [47.5641, 19.0495], "id": 2211, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/2211", "long_id": "MPL02211", "place": "Aquincum", "text": "Roma tibi subi[to moti-][bus ib]it a\u27e6mor\u27e7 Rotas op\u2026", "thumbnail_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/75/Aquincum%2C_SATOR-Quadrat_aus_dem_Statthalterpalast.jpg", "title": "Sator square from Aquincum"}, {"coords": [47.5641, 19.0495], "id": 2253, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/2253", "long_id": "MPL02253", "place": "Aquincum", "text": "Grate qui fotues Gr(a)eca(m) ancilla(m) Lupi optio\u2026", "thumbnail_url": "https://db.edcs.eu/epigr/bilder/$TitAq-03_01371.jpg", "title": "Graffito from Aquincum"}, {"coords": [46.7655, 17.248], "id": 799, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/799", "long_id": "MPL00799", "place": "Valcum (Volgum)", "text": "Arma virumqua (sic) arma vi", "thumbnail_url": null, "title": "Vergilian quote on a tile"}, {"coords": [47.7133, 18.7885], "id": 800, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/800", "long_id": "MPL00800", "place": "Solva", "text": "Adque ea diversa penitus dum parte Irim de caelo m\u2026", "thumbnail_url": null, "title": "Literary quote on a brick"}, {"coords": [46.2531, 17.1006], "id": 1081, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/1081", "long_id": "MPL01081", "place": "Csurg\u00f3", "text": "------ S]aturne [---disc]ipulus ni(hi)l (a)era [mi\u2026", "thumbnail_url": null, "title": "Identification inscription from Csurg\u00f3 (Pannonia superior) - HD074881"}, {"coords": [47.7343, 18.1936], "id": 936, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/936", "long_id": "MPL00936", "place": "Brigetio", "text": "D(is) M(anibus). Val(erius) Ursinus ducenarius, q-\u2026", "thumbnail_url": null, "title": "Funerary inscription for Valerius Ursinus"}, {"coords": [47.7343, 18.1936], "id": 937, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/937", "long_id": "MPL00937", "place": "Brigetio", "text": "Heu simul hic nata et genetrix functaeq(ue) sitaeq\u2026", "thumbnail_url": null, "title": "Epitaph from Brigetio \u2013 Kom\u00e1rom (Pannonia superior) - HD039614"}, {"coords": [47.7343, 18.1936], "id": 1078, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/1078", "long_id": "MPL01078", "place": "Brigetio", "text": "Vitula dulcis amor [se]mper suspiri nostri quod 5p\u2026", "thumbnail_url": null, "title": "Acclamation from Brigetio \u2013 Kom\u00e1rom (Pannonia superior) - HD074495"}, {"coords": [47.7343, 18.1936], "id": 2213, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/2213", "long_id": "MPL02213", "place": "Brigetio", "text": "Leg(io) I Ad[iutrix ---]. Hoc die felice[s fratres\u2026", "thumbnail_url": null, "title": "Christian inscription on a tile"}, {"coords": [46.1567, 17.8345], "id": 970, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/970", "long_id": "MPL00970", "place": "Szentl\u00e1szl\u00f3", "text": "1 R(ecensitum) (scil. opus est) idemq(ue) [probat\u2026", "thumbnail_url": "https://db.edcs.eu/epigr/bilder/$SEBarc_10_p234.jpg", "title": "Verse inscription on a brick"}, {"coords": [47.4983, 19.0404], "id": 971, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/971", "long_id": "MPL00971", "place": "Campona", "text": "[---]a[e] m\u0361emoria\u0361e [---] Hoc iacet in lapid\u2026", "thumbnail_url": "https://lupa.at/img/F2785_G1.jpg", "title": "Sarcophagus of Aurelia Marcellina"}, {"coords": [46.9169, 17.519], "id": 977, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/977", "long_id": "MPL00977", "place": "Mogetiana", "text": "[\u2066 - - - - - - - - - - \u2069] [---]E(?)E[---] [qua?]m \u2026", "thumbnail_url": null, "title": "Epitaph from Mogetiana, bei \u2013 Hegyesd (Pannonia superior) - HD050390"}, {"coords": [47.09, 18.4205], "id": 884, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/884", "long_id": "MPL00884", "place": "Gorsium", "text": "D(is) M(anibus) tu qui festinas pe-dibus consiste \u2026", "thumbnail_url": null, "title": "Epitaph from Gorsium \u2013 T\u00e1c (Pannonia inferior) - HD032224"}, {"coords": [47.09, 18.4205], "id": 2212, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/2212", "long_id": "MPL02212", "place": "Gorsium", "text": "D(is) [M(anibus)]. Hic iacet in tumu-lo Aur(e\u2026", "thumbnail_url": "https://lupa.at/img/D3587_G1.jpg", "title": "Funerary stele of Aurelia Sabina"}, {"coords": [46.0733, 18.2281], "id": 885, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/885", "long_id": "MPL00885", "place": "Sopianae", "text": "Ius ad iustitiam revocare aequ(u)mque tueri Dalmat\u2026", "thumbnail_url": null, "title": "Honorific inscription from Sopianae?, aus \u2013 Magyarb\u00f3ly, bei (Pannonia inferior) - HD032256"}, {"coords": [46.9755, 18.937], "id": 925, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/925", "long_id": "MPL00925", "place": "Intercisa", "text": "Hoc lapide tegitur Aurel(ia) Pia piissima con[iux]\u2026", "thumbnail_url": null, "title": "Epitaph from Intercisa \u2013 Duna\u00fajv\u00e1ros (Pannonia inferior) - HD037297"}, {"coords": [46.9755, 18.937], "id": 926, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/926", "long_id": "MPL00926", "place": "Intercisa", "text": "[Ha]ec quoq(ue) nomine Kara[---] [---]i post lustr\u2026", "thumbnail_url": null, "title": "Epitaph from Intercisa \u2013 Duna\u00fajv\u00e1ros (Pannonia inferior) - HD037385"}, {"coords": [46.9755, 18.937], "id": 2214, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/2214", "long_id": "MPL02214", "place": "Intercisa", "text": "Utere felexSevere coni(ux) du(lcissime) somnis", "thumbnail_url": "https://lupa.at/img/9739-1.jpg", "title": "Funerary text on an anepigraphic slab"}, {"coords": [46.9755, 18.937], "id": 2215, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/2215", "long_id": "MPL02215", "place": "Intercisa", "text": "-------[---] optamus cunc-ti sit tibi terra levis.\u2026", "thumbnail_url": "https://lupa.at/img/3584-2.jpg", "title": "Fragmentary funerary inscription from Intercisa"}, {"coords": [47.9406, 17.0694], "id": 2129, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/2129", "long_id": "MPL02129", "place": "Nickelsdorf", "text": "Si me amas spes amor.", "thumbnail_url": null, "title": "Fibula with love dedication from Nickelsdorf"}]

Object Details

Object Type	burial building
Material	limestone
State of Preservation	incomplete
Dimensions	width: 120.0 cm height: 75.0 cm depth: 35.0 cm
Letter Size in cm (min)	0.0
Letter Size in cm (max)	0.0
Execution Technique	chiselled
Religion

Decoration

Decoration and Iconography
Decoration Tags

Verse Layouts

Prose Verse Presence Carmen
Scriptio Continua in verse part no
Abbreviations in verse part no
Verse Line Correspondence Yes

Prose Verse Presence	Carmen
Scriptio Continua in verse part	no
Abbreviations in verse part	no
Verse Line Correspondence	Yes

Text

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

Inscription & Translations

Diplomatic Interpretative Verse Visualisation

LVBRICAQVASSALEVIS[]
VITADATAESTHOMININONC[]
PERVARIOSCASVSTEN[]
VIVITOMORTALISDVNC[]
5SEVTERVRACOLENSVRBE[]
FLORESAVRAVENERISCERE[]
ETNYSYILARGAEETPING[]
CANDIDAVITACOLEIVS[]
IAMPVERETIVVENISIAM[]
10TALISERISTVMVLOSVP[]

Lubrica quassa levis [fragilis bona vel mala fallax]
Vita data est homini non c[erto limite cretae]
Per varios casus ten[uato stamine pendes]
Vivito mortalis dunc [dant tibi tempora Parcae]
5Seu te rura colens urbe[s seu castra vel aequor]
Flores aura Veneris Cere[ris bona munera carpe]
Et Nys{y}i largae et ping[uia dona Minervae]
Candida(m) vita(m) cole ius[tissima mente serenus]
Iam puer et iuvenis iam [vir et fessus ab annis]
10Talis eris tumulo sup[erumque oblitus honores.]

Lubrica quassa levis [fragilis bona vel mala fallax]
Vita data est homini non c[erto limite cretae]
Per varios casus ten[uato stamine pendes]
Vivito mortalis dunc [dant tibi tempora Parcae]
Seu te rura colens urbe[s seu castra vel aequor]
Flores aura Veneris Cere[ris bona munera carpe]
Et Nys{y}i largae et ping[uia dona Minervae]
Candida(m) vita(m) cole ius[tissima mente serenus]
Iam puer et iuvenis iam [vir et fessus ab annis]
Talis eris tumulo sup[erumque oblitus honores.]

Apparatus

l.4 reg., orig. dunc

Achrostic: Lupus fecit.

Main Translation

Translation	[...], a tribune. Inconstant, battered, light, fragile, deceitful, good or bad, is the life that is given to man, with no defined line of chalk, hanging between various disasters on a dwindling thread. Live, mortal, while the Fates give you time, either the countryside or the cities or the camps or the seas is where you inhabit. Love the flowers of Venus, seize the good gifts of Ceres and the bounty of Bacchus and the fertile gifts of Minerva. Now a boy, and a young man, now a man, and tired by the years. You will be like this in a tomb, and forget the honours of the living. Aurelius Maximianus, his grandson, upon the insistence of his tent-mates, [made this] with his own money.
Citation	Faithfull 2024

Other Translations

To a man is given life that is slippery, shaky, fleeting, fragile, good or bad, treacherous, hanging on a slender thread through a variety of chances with no clearly-marked finishing-post. Live to the full, mortal, while the Fates grant you time, whether the country embraces you or cities or a military camp or the sea. Love the flowers of Venus, pluck the benign gifts of Ceres and the generous gift of Bacchus and the viscous gifts of Athena; cultivate a serene life, calm because of your clear conscience. Speedily a boy and a youth, speedily a man and then worn out by old age, you will be like this in the tomb, with no memory of the honours of men alive on earth. (English, Courtney 1995)

Prosopographical Information

Further Information

Comment

Traces of red colour in the letters. The same text can be found in MPL00059 and MPL02156.

Squeeze

Have Squeeze?	no

Dating

Date (From)	201 AD
Date (To)	230 AD
Date (Criteria)	archaeology formulae

Bibliography

S. Soproni, Római Sírvers Szentendréről, Folia Achaeologica 14 (1962), 51-56 (with drawing) - AE 1965. 🔗 link
AE 1965, 00165
RIU 00910 (with picture)
TitAq 04, 01639
CLE 01615
E. Maroti, Die römischen Steindenkmäler von Szentendre - Ulcisia Castra, Szentendre 2003, 35, no. 29 (with photo). 🔗 link
HD017644 🔗 link
MQDQ 🔗 link
https://lupa.at/3164 🔗 link
Cf. C. Gabrielli, Firme di autore ai confini dell’impero romano: la fortuna del poeta Lupus. In: G. Baratta (ed.), FECIT: firme di artisti ed artigiani nel mondo antico. Scritti in onore di Alfredo Buonopane, Roma 2024. 🔗 link
P. Faithfull, War and Peace. Military Lives and Identities in Latin Verse Inscriptions., Vienna 2024, 693. 🔗 link

Images

Editing History

Created	2025-11-18, by Eric Andreas Kunz
Work Status	Complete
Import Notice	Imported from Epigraphische Datenbank Heidelberg at 2024-07-11T12:02:12, ID there: HD017644

Revisions

by Unknown
at 2024-07-11 12:02
by Eric Andreas Kunz
at 2024-07-30 14:52
by Eric Andreas Kunz
at 2024-07-30 14:57
by Eric Andreas Kunz
at 2024-07-30 14:57
by Anna Pokorny
at 2025-01-29 15:06
by Chiara Cenati
at 2025-04-14 09:24
by Chiara Cenati
at 2025-04-14 09:36
by Chiara Cenati
at 2025-04-14 09:39
by Chiara Cenati
at 2025-04-14 09:46
by Chiara Cenati
at 2025-04-14 10:03
by Chiara Cenati
at 2025-04-14 10:06
by Chiara Cenati
at 2025-04-14 11:33
by Chiara Cenati
at 2025-04-14 11:34
by Chiara Cenati
at 2025-04-14 11:36
by Chiara Cenati
at 2025-04-14 12:31
by Chiara Cenati
at 2025-04-17 15:31
by Anna Pokorny
at 2025-11-18 14:05
by Chiara Cenati
at 2025-11-18 15:44

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