Roman garlanded funerary urn (cinerarium) with genii figures at the front corners and a separate lid
Proconnesian marble
Height: 45cm
Height (body): 27cm
Height (lid): 9cm
Height (body): 27cm
Height (lid): 9cm
Inscription: D M / L. IVLIO. VITALI / GLYCERA. FECIT / CONIVGI. B. M / VIX. AN. XLII. M. II
D[is] M[anibus] L[ucio] Iulio Vitali Glycera fecit coniugi b[ene] m[erenti] vix[it] an[nis] XLII m[ensibus] II
Inscription marks: Line 1: 13mm; Lines 2-5: 14mm; Line 6: 11mm.
Inscription note: Line 2: The stone appears to read EECIT; this is suggested also by the squeeze. If this is the case, it would not be an unusual mistake for a lettercutter to make.
Line 5: CIL reads only one I following XL; however, both Vermeule and Tupman read XLII.
We are grateful to Dr. Charlotte Tupman, a scholar of epigraphy (the study of inscriptions) undertaking postdoctoral research at King’s College London, who took squeezes of the inscriptions on antiquities in the Museum in 2007, for her transliteration, translation and notes/bibliography of the inscription on this piece.
Inscription translation: To the spirits of the departed. To Lucius Iulius Vitalis, Glycera set it up for her well-deserving husband, who lived forty-two years and two months.
D[is] M[anibus] L[ucio] Iulio Vitali Glycera fecit coniugi b[ene] m[erenti] vix[it] an[nis] XLII m[ensibus] II
Inscription marks: Line 1: 13mm; Lines 2-5: 14mm; Line 6: 11mm.
Inscription note: Line 2: The stone appears to read EECIT; this is suggested also by the squeeze. If this is the case, it would not be an unusual mistake for a lettercutter to make.
Line 5: CIL reads only one I following XL; however, both Vermeule and Tupman read XLII.
We are grateful to Dr. Charlotte Tupman, a scholar of epigraphy (the study of inscriptions) undertaking postdoctoral research at King’s College London, who took squeezes of the inscriptions on antiquities in the Museum in 2007, for her transliteration, translation and notes/bibliography of the inscription on this piece.
Inscription translation: To the spirits of the departed. To Lucius Iulius Vitalis, Glycera set it up for her well-deserving husband, who lived forty-two years and two months.
Museum number: M373
Vermeule catalogue number: Vermeule 338
On display: Catacombs
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