EPITAPH FOR A DAUGHTER AND WIFE, ROME Alison E. Cooley AEC/ASHL ANChandler.3.116.xml Oxford Ashmolean Museum ANChandler.3.116 AshLI 115

A sizeable unadorned slab of grey-veined white marble (0.58 0.31 0.027), with a moulded frame and a rounded pediment (in a modern mount). Holes have been drilled through in the centre of the pediment and to right and left at the top of the front surface. The rear is smoothly finished. It is in a very good condition.

The text is inscribed only at the top of the front surface, leaving a large empty space towards the bottom. The first and last lines are centred. The interpuncts in lines 1-3 take the form of ivy leaves, but are then simply oblique lines. The name Fructus on lines 6-7 has been mis-engraved as Frucius.

 0.035 (line 1); 0.022 (lines 2-3); 0.02 (lines 4-6); 0.022 (line 7); 0.02 (lines 8-11). Of unknown provenance, it probably originated from Rome. possibly second century AD (DM formula and onomastics: Solin 2003, vol. 2: p.1075). It is first recorded in Oxford according to CIL, but is in fact listed in the sale catalogue (Langford 1749) for the collection belonging to Christopher Wren, Esq., of Hampton Court (son of Sir Christopher Wren) sold at auction in London as lot 49 on 5th April 1749, after his death. Lot 49 comprised six marble inscriptions (also C3-104; C3-105; C3-106; C3-111; C3-112). This lot was bought by Richard Rawlinson: he is listed in the sale catalogue as one of the buyers at the auction, and also himself writes later that year of having bought Latin inscriptions from Mr Wren’s sale (Enright 1956: p.306 - Rawlinson Bod. MS. C 989 f.123, 16 Nov 1749, letter to Bodleian’s librarian). All of these Latin inscriptions are in the Ashmolean as part of the Rawlinson Collection, which was given to Oxford University in 1753, and at first kept in the University Collection in the Bodleian Library (Enright 1956: p.340). It is included in a list of antique marbles transferred from the Ashmolean Museum basement room to the marble rooms of the Randolph Building in January 1888 (Archive MS. ‘Marbles sent from Ashmolean Museum’ p.34, no.168). It is currently in a storeroom. photograph photograph photograph
dis manibus Marcus Cornelius Epictetus Cor neliae Florentinae filiae suae annos XXVII et Pacuvius Fruc itus coniugi suae cum qua vixit annos VII menses VIIII bene merenti fecerunt

To the spirts of the dead. Marcus Cornelius Epictetus set this up to Cornelia Florentina his daughter, who lived 27 years, and Pacuvius Fructus set this up to his well-deserving wife with whom he lived for 7 years and 9 months.

IVS (lapis)

Here we have a father and son-in-law dedicating a stele jointly, to their daughter/wife.

Chandler (1763) Part 3, Pl.III.cxvi, with drawing; CIL VI.3 no.16199 [Hübner] (1886)

Online: EDCS-12001095 [accessed 29/10/15]

Ashmolean Museum Department of Antiquities Marbles sent from Ashmolean Museum Chandler R. 1763 Marmora Oxoniensia Oxford Clarendon Press Enright B.J. 1956 Richard Rawlinson: collector, antiquary, and topographer (Bod. MS. D.Phil. d.1786) Langford A. 1749 A catalogue of the genuine and entire collection of medals and statues of Christopher Wren Esq, late of Hampton Court, deceased; together with the collection of drawings of architecture of the late Sir Christopher Wren, his father (London 1749) http://artworld.york.ac.uk R. Stephens The art world in Britain 1660 to 1735 Solin H. 2003 Die griechischen Personennamen in Rom. Ein Namenbuch (2nd edn) 3 vols Berlin De Gruyter