Description: White marble sarcophagus w: 2.00 × h: 0.78 × d: 0.81 with a tabella ansata, flanked by garlands.
Text: Inscribed in the upper two thirds of the tabella, impinging on all mouldings. The text must have begun above, perhaps on the lid or the upper rim of the chest.
Letters: Poorly designed, cut and aligned, possibly of the late third century, perhaps the fourth; uneven heights, ave. 0.013, but rising to 0.025 sporadically; ε for epsilon, lunate sigma, ω for omega. There is a gauche attempt at artistry, perhaps in that six alphas have been placed one directly below the other on the left-hand moulding in lines 3-8, certainly in that the last two lines are laid out with some attempt at symmetry. Unconventional spellings in lines 1, 2, 5, 6, 7.
Date: Monument: mid third century (Işık). Text: Probably fourth century (unit of reckoning). (lettering, spelling)
Findspot: Aphrodisias: City, Village: 'Cour de l'immeuble aux escaliers de marbre' (Gaudin)
Original location: Unknown
Last recorded location: Museum (1977)
Apparatus
Other additional letters read here and changes in layout proposed make no difference to the sense of what MAMA printed
1: On the moulding; omitted by Reinach
4-5: κ]αὶ προσαποτει/σάτω τῷ ταμίῳ MAMA 8
5: Τhere does not seem to be a space for a star = denaria at the end
7: ἀπ<ε>τέθη IAph2007
English translation
Translation source: Reynolds, 2007
- - - ? but no one else shall have the] right to bury [? anyone in the sarcophagus or to remove anyone from it], since (whoever does so) shall be (considered) sacrilegious and accursed and a tomb-breaker, and furthermore shall pay to the sacred treasury (at Rome) three myriads of silver. A copy of the inscribed text was deposited in the archive.
Bibliography
Transcription: Kubitschek, June 1893 K.III.41, Abklatsch 41; Gaudin, 1904 170; Calder, 1934; New York University expedition
Publication: Reinach, 1906 184 ; MAMA 8 578 , whence Robert, Hellenica XIII, 15 (mention), McCabe, PHI, 1996 576 , Roueché, ALA p.192 (comment); Reynolds, 2007 142 ; IAph2007 11.65.