Description: Marble
sarcophagus, and pedimental sarcophagus lid:
w: 2.06 × h: 1.19 × d: 0.92.
On the lid, lion’s head spouts, akroteria in the form of Psyche and Eros;
in the pediments phialai; on a long side (front) a tabula ansata flanked by two Erotes, two garlands with busts of a man and
a woman in their swags,
and two Nikai; on the short sides gorgoneia in the swags of garlands.
Text:
Inscribed on the lid (lines 1-3), on the chest (line 4), in the tabula (lines 5-25) and on the lower border (lines 26-27)
Letters: 0.02
Date: ca. 220-235 CE (material context)
Findspot: Aphrodisias:
Necropolis, South-east area
Original location: Necropolis, South-east area
Last recorded location: Museum
Interpretive
[Ἡ σο]ρ̣ὸς [καὶ ὁ] ὑπὸ α[ὐτὴν βωμὸς?] κατ̣εσκευά̣σθησαν [ὑ]πὸ ΤΙΙ̣Ε[---]
[---ἐν ᾗ σο]ρῷ κεκήδευται Μελτίνη ἡ γ̣υ̣[νὴ αὐτ]οῦ [κὲ] αὐτὸς ταφῇ ὁ
[---ΣΟ---ὁ ὑπεναν-]
τίον τι ποιήσας προσαποτείσει Θεᾷ Ἀφροδείτῃ ἀργυρίου (δηνάρια) ͵β, ὧν τὸ τρίτον ἔσται τοῦ ἐκδικήσαντος
5ἔστω δὲ ἀσεβὴς
καὶ ἐπάρα-
τος · ταύτης
τῆς ἐπιγρα-
φῆς ἀπετέ-
10θη ἀντίγρα-
φον εἰς τὸ
χ[ρεοφυ]λά-
[κιον ἐπὶ] στε-
[φανηφόρο]υ ⟦
15[ - - - - - - - - - - ]
[ - - - - - - - - - - ]
[ - - - - - - - - - - ]
[ - - - - - - - - - - ]
[ - - - - - - - - - - ]
20[------]⟧
ἔτι βούλο-
μαι ἐντα-
φῆναι ἐν τῇ
σορῷ Αὐρ(ηλίαν) Αὔξη-
25σιν Ἀμμιανοῦ τοῦ Φιλήτου τὴν καὶ αὐτὴν γυναῖκα μου καὶ Φίλητον τὸν
( vac. 20) υἱόν μου ( vac. 20)
Diplomatic
[...].ΟΣ[....]ΥΠΟΑ[.........]ΚΑ.ΕΣΚΕΥ.ΣΘΗΣΑΝ[.]ΠΟΤΙ.Ε[---]
[---.....]ΡΩΚΕΚΗΔΕΥΤΑΙΜΕΛΤΙΝΗΗ..[.....]ΟΥ[..]ΑΥΤΟΣΤΑΦΗΟ
[---..---.......-]
ΤΙΟΝΤΙΠΟΙΗΣΑΣΠΡΟΣΑΠΟΤΕΙΣΕΙΘΕΑΑΦΡΟΔΕΙΤΗΑΡΓΥΡΙΟΥ 𐆖 ͵ΒΩΝΤΟΤΡΙΤΟΝΕΣΤΑΙΤΟΥΕΚΔΙΚΗΣΑΝΤΟΣ
5ΕΣΤΩΔΕΑΣΕΒΗΣ
ΚΑΙΕΠΑΡΑ
ΤΟΣΤΑΥΤΗΣ
ΤΗΣΕΠΙΓΡΑ
ΦΗΣΑΠΕΤΕ
10ΘΗΑΝΤΙΓΡΑ
ΦΟΝΕΙΣΤΟ
Χ[.....]ΛΑ
[.......]ΣΤΕ
[........]Υ⟦
15[ - - - - - - - - - - ]
[ - - - - - - - - - - ]
[ - - - - - - - - - - ]
[ - - - - - - - - - - ]
[ - - - - - - - - - - ]
20[------]⟧
ΕΤΙΒΟΥΛΟ
ΜΑΙΕΝΤΑ
ΦΗΝΑΙΕΝΤΗ
ΣΟΡΩΑΥΡΑΥΞΗ
25ΣΙΝΑΜΜΙΑΝΟΥΤΟΥΦΙΛΗΤΟΥΤΗΝΚΑΙΑΥΤΗΝΓΥΝΑΙΚΑΜΟΥΚΑΙΦΙΛΗΤΟΝΤΟΝ
ΥΙΟΝΜΟΥ
English translation
Translation source: Chaniotis and Smith, 2016
The sarcophagus and the base(?) underneath were constructed by -. In this sarcophagus has buried Meltine, his wife(?) and
shall be buried he himself [---] whoever does something against his will shall pay (additionally) to the goddess Aphrodite
2000 denarii, of which one-third shall belong to the vindicator; and he shall be impious and cursed. A copy of this inscription
was deposited in the registry under the stephanephorate of --. I also wish that Aurelia Auxesis, daughter of Ammianos, son
of Philetos, who is also my (second?) wife, will be buried here and Philetos, my son.
Bibliography
Transcription: Aphrodisias Museum team in 2006/2007, New York University expedition I-07-17, Sarcophagus 715
Publication: Smith, 2009 330 no. 2 (mention); Chaniotis and Smith, 2016 7, whence SEG 66.1165