IAph: 2.538. Epitaph for Aurelia Meltine

Description: Three adjoining pieces of a panel (together w: 1.35 × h: 0.65 × d: 0.25).

Text: Inscribed on one face; the text must have begun on an upper feature.

Letters: 0.035; abbreviation marks above Μ of Καρμ, line 3; apices above Υ of υἱός, line 4, Ε of ἐξουσίαν, line 6.

Date: Second to third centuries CE (lettering)

Findspot: Aphrodisias: Bishop's Palace: re-used face upwards in the paving

Original location: Unknown

Last recorded location: Museum

[------]
καθ'οὗ ἐπικεῖνται καὶ τὰ περὶ αὐτὰ δίκα̣[ια εἰσιν? --- Αὐρηλί?-]
ας Μελτίνης τῆς Διονυσίου τοῦ Διονυσ̣[ίου ((stop))? εἰς ἣν κεκήδευν-]
ται Αὐρ(ήλιος) Καρμί(νιος) Ζώσιμος [ὁ] γενάμενος ἀνὴρ [Μελτίνης καὶ Αὐρ(ήλιος) Καρ-]
μίνιος Ἄδραστος ὁ γενάμενος υἱὸς τοῦ Ζ[ωσίμου καὶ τῆς Μελτί-]
5νης κηδευθήσεται δὲ καὶ Αὐρ(ηλία) Μελτίνη ἡ π[ρογεγραμμένη ἕτερος]
δὲ οὐδεὶς ἕξει ἐξουσίαν τινα ἐνθάψαι ἢ ἐκ̣[θάψαι ἐὰν μὴ Μελτίνη ]
[.] ἢ οὓς ἂν ἢ ὃν ἂν συνχωρήσῃ ἢ διατάξητ̣[αι c. 12 ἔσ-]
[τ]ω ὁ τοῦτο τολμήσας ἀσεβὴς καὶ ἐπάρατο[ς τῆς ἐπιγραφῆς? ἀντί-]
[γ]ρ̣αφον ἀπετέθη εἰς τὸ χρεοφυλάκιον ἐ[πὶ στεφανηφόρου ---]
10( vac. 12) ((scroll)) Διογένους τὸ Ϛ μη(νὸς) Γορ̣π̣ί[ηου ( vac. 12)?]

Diplomatic

[------]
ΚΑΘΟΥΕΠΙΚΕΙΝΤΑΙΚΑΙΤΑΠΕΡΙΑΥΤΑΔΙΚ.[.......---......-]
ΑΣΜΕΛΤΙΝΗΣΤΗΣΔΙΟΝΥΣΙΟΥΤΟΥΔΙΟΝΥ.[....][.............-]
ΤΑΙΑΥΡΚΑΡΜΙΖΩΣΙΜΟΣ[.]ΓΕΝΑΜΕΝΟΣΑΝΗΡ[.................-]
ΜΙΝΙΟΣΑΔΡΑΣΤΟΣΟΓΕΝΑΜΕΝΟΣΥΙΟΣΤΟΥΖ[.................-]
5ΝΗΣΚΗΔΕΥΘΗΣΕΤΑΙΔΕΚΑΙΑΥΡΜΕΛΤΙΝΗΗΠ[..................]
ΔΕΟΥΔΕΙΣΕΞΕΙΕΞΟΥΣΙΑΝΤΙΝΑΕΝΘΑΨΑΙΗΕ.[.................]
[·]ΗΟΥΣΑΝΗΟΝΑΝΣΥΝΧΩΡΗΣΗΗΔΙΑΤΑΞΗ.[..············..-]
[.]ΩΟΤΟΥΤΟΤΟΛΜΗΣΑΣΑΣΕΒΗΣΚΑΙΕΠΑΡΑΤΟ[.................-]
[.].ΑΦΟΝΑΠΕΤΕΘΗΕΙΣΤΟΧΡΕΟΦΥΛΑΚΙΟΝΕ[..............---]
10 ΔΙΟΓΕΝΟΥΣΤΟϚΜΗΓΟ..Ι[...............]

Apparatus

The text clearly began on an upper panel.

English translation

Translation by: Joyce M. Reynolds

[ . . .] on which they lie and the entitlements around them [?belong to Aure]lia Meltine the (scil. daughter of) Dionysios the (scil. son of) Dionysios [ . . . in which have been buried] Aurelius Carminius Zosimos, who was the husband of [Meltine and Aurelius Car]minius Adrastos who was the son of Zosimos [ and of Melti]ne; and the aforementioned. Aurelia Meltine will be buried. No one else shall have the right to bury a body in it or to remove one from it, apart from Meltine or anyone to whom she may give permission or instructions, [since whoever so acts] is to be (scil. considered) sacrilegious, accursed and a tomb-robber. A copy [of the inscribed text] was deposited in the civic archive in the 6th [stephanephorate] of Diogenes, month Gorpiaios.