ISic002137: Epitaph for Soteres

I.Sicily with the permission of the Assessorato Regionale dei Beni Culturali e dell’Identità Siciliana - Dipartimento dei Beni Culturali e dell’Identità Siciliana; photo J. Prag 2019-10-03
I.Sicily with the permission of the Assessorato Regionale dei Beni Culturali e dell’Identità Siciliana - Dipartimento dei Beni Culturali e dell’Identità Siciliana; photo J. Prag 2019-10-03
ID
ISic002137
Language
Ancient Greek
Status
draft
Text type
funerary
Object type
plaque

Edition

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Apparatus criticus

  • Text based upon autopsy

Physical description

Support

Description
A marble plaque, missing the upper left corner, and with part of the surviving upper section also broken but still attached. The upper, left and right edges are straight, but the lower edge very uneven. Traces of mortar around the edges. The letters show extensive traces of red rubrication. The rear is finished smooth. A label on the reverse reads 'S. Giovanni 2014'.
Object type
plaque
Object condition
damaged
Dimensions
height: 21.5 cm, width: 26 cm, depth: 1.7-2.2 cm

Material

Description
marble
Type > subtype
stone.marble > unverified

Inscription

Layout
Four lines of text, filling the upper part of the plaque, and tending to slant upwards across each line. A Staurogram is inserted between the first two lines of text.
Text condition
incomplete
Technique
chiselled
Pigment
Rubrication, red
Lettering

Letters of somewhat irregular size and form. Alpha of cursive form, lunate epsilon and sigma, uncial omega, omicron of varying form.

Letter heights
Line 1-1: 16-26mm
Line 3: 14-27mm
Line 4: 13-25mm
Line 5: 11-29mm
Interlinear heights
Interlineation line 1 to 3: 11-24mm
Interlineation line 3 to 4: 6-20mm
Interlineation line 4 to 5: 5-6mm

Provenance

Place of origin
Syracusae high certainty
Provenance found
According to Ferrua, extracted from beyond the end of the principal decumanus in the catacomb of S. Giovanni, and subsequently autopsied by him in Sept. 1970. Now in cassette 55, magazzino B, Mus. arch. reg. Siracusa
Map

Current location

Place
Siracusa, Sicilia
Repository
Museo Archeologico Regionale Paolo Orsi
107648
Autopsy
Flavio Santini, 2018-09-24
Map

Date

Late Roman (AD 275 - AD 500)
Evidence
No data

Text type

funerary

commentary

The form of the name Soteres is probably for Soteris.

Bibliography

Digital editions
  • TM: -
  • EDR: -
  • EDH: -
  • EDCS: -
  • PHI: -
Printed editions

Citation and editorial status

Editor
Jonathan Prag
Principal contributor
Jonathan Prag
Contributors
Last revision
5/11/2026