Marble Roman Epitaph

He died about 170 b c.

Marble roman epitaph.

Height 21cm width 23 2cm. The inscription considered to be one of the most interesting of latin epitaphs is unique because it contains both typical epitaphic information and more personal and sexual details. Allia potestas was a freedwoman from the roman town of perugia who lived sometime during the 1st 4th centuries ce. Death caused all your virtues your honour good report and valiance your glory and your talents to be short lived.

Roman epitaph 2nd 3rd century ad. The tombstone of this ex slave from the town of perugia contains fascinating details about her daily life loves and sexual exploits. The romans often used such inscriptions to record very precise details about the deceased such as their age occupation and life history. The epitaph of allia potestas gives an intriguing insight into the sexual mores of the ancient romans.

Most of the latin inscriptions now in the jhu museum were acquired by harry langford wilson in the winter of 1906 1907 in rome. Cil 1 2 10 latin text. The letters are between 2 3 and 3 4 cm in height. Commemorating the loss of a child it presents a boy and his dog accompanied by a touching inscription in latin which can be translated to the departed spirit of anthus.

In 1888 de rossi argued on the basis. You who have worn the honoured cap of jupiter s holy priest. A pedimented slab with acroteria ornaments inscribed with an epitaph to a certain licinia amias and decorated with images of two fish and an anchor in addition to a wreath and ivy which is found between the common latin invocation d m at the top of the epitaph. Despite its unusual character the black marble of hadrian s epitaph has been subject to much less analysis than other aspects of its manufacture.

Latin epitaphs translated by e h warmington. Open a larger version of the following image in a popup. Publius cornelius scipio probably a son of scipio africanus. Carved in a white marble.

Wilson was professor of roman archaeology and epigraphy at johns hopkins and stayed at the american academy in rome during the academic year of 1906 1907 which gave him the chance to purchase the inscriptions and have them shipped to baltimore. The largest group of roman inscriptions comprises epitaphs on funerary monuments. In 2020 a time of unprecedented loss and mourning globally this roman funerary altar is an exemplar of the enduring power of monuments. Two arguments have been proposed hitherto for the origin of the stone and thus the location of the workshop where the epitaph was made.