I 34. Tyras.Fragment of an epitaph, II-III century C.E.
Monument
Type
Panel.
Material
Marble, white with grayish hue.
Dimensions (cm)
H.11.6, W.11.0, Th.1.5-1.9.
Additional description
Two joining fragments. The front and back are polished, other sides broken off; the back also shows signs of soot.
Place of Origin
Tyras.
Find place
Belgorod-Dnestrovsky.
Find context
In a mixed refuse layer, (Trench A).
Find circumstances
Found in 1947, excavations L.D. Dmitrov.
Modern location
Belgorod-Dnestrovsky.
Institution and inventory
Belgorod-Dnestrovsky Regional Studies Museum, А-5833 (1377).
Autopsy
A. I. Ivantchik, August 2006.
Epigraphic field
Position
On the front. Broken off on all sides, except the top. Either the top margin is no less than 3,5cm or there is vacat in the line above. H.8.0, W.10.8
Lettering
Deeply, but rather sloppily and unevenly cut letters; adorned with small serifs. Alpha with straight or slanting crossbar. Average distance between lines: 2,2cm.
Letterheights (cm)
3.1-3.3
Text
Category
Epitaph.
Date
II-III century C.E.
Dating criteria
Palaeography.
Editions
L1. Dmitrov1952, 62, рис. 4; 2. Karyshkovsky1959, 122, № 15.
<div type="edition" xml:lang="grc">
<ab>
<lb n="0"/><gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="line"/>
<lb n="1"/><gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character"/><orig><unclear>Ρ</unclear>ΑΙ</orig><gap reason="illegible" quantity="1" unit="character"/><gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character"/>
<lb n="2"/><gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character"/><supplied reason="lost">γυναῖ</supplied><unclear>κ</unclear>ι
Αὐρη<supplied reason="lost">λίᾳ</supplied><gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character"/>
<lb n="2a"/><gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="line"/>
</ab>
</div>Apparatus criticus
1:
ΡΑIIKaryshkovsky
2:
ΧΙΑΥΡΗKaryshkovsky
Translation
[- - - for wi]fe Aure[lia- - -]
Commentary
According to Karyshkovsky (but this might not be correct), in 1959, the inscription was in Kiev, in the collection of the Institute of Archaeology, Academy of Sciences of the Ukranian Soviet Socialist Republic. It would appear the Karyshkovsky did not actually see the inscription. He did not offer restorations, providing only a transcription in majuscule. The inscription is fragmentary, but in line 2, the restoration is quite reliable. The dative form suggests that it was most likely an epitaph, consisting of some common formula, such as e.g. "so and so made this tomb for himself and his wife Aurelia, for their children etc." The character of the monument would support this supposition: a thin marble panel could have served as revetment for a brick or stone wall.
Images
© 2017 Askold Ivantchik (edition), Irene Polinskaya (translation)
You may download this inscription in EpiDoc XML. (This file should validate to theEpiDoc schema.)