The Inscription of Artemisia

The Inscription of Artemisia

INSCRIPTION DETAILS

Findspot and Place of Origin

Country
Italy
Region
Veneto
Ancient Region
Regio X Venetia et Histria
City
Concordia Sagittaria
Ancient City

Chronology

Date of the inscription

Date
First Half of the Fourth Century A.D.
Dating criteria
palaeography, onomastics

Autopsy

Institution
Location within museum
storage facilities
Date of observation
2024

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION

Type
Frontal panel of the sarcophagus.
Material(s)
Limestone.
Execution
Inscribed.
Dimensions
24 × 106 × 8.5 cm
Epigraphic Field
24 × 100 cm
Letters Height
5-6 cm

Palaeographic comment

Dextrograde direction, horizontal alignment, vertical module, regular ductus, triangular interpunction, deep groove, centered layout.

A strongly compressed laterally.

L with short arm.

Inscribed front panel of a limestone sarcophagus
The iscription of Artemisia. Photograph courtesy of the Museo Nazionale Concordiese, Portogruaro; photo by Ortolf Harl (Ubi Erat Lupa). Courtesy of the Ministry of Culture - Regional Directorate of National Museums of Veneto. Any commercial or for-profit use of these images is strictly prohibited and must be subject to a specific authorization request to the Regional Directorate of National Museums of Veneto.

INSCRIPTION

INTERPRETATIVE TRANSCRIPTION

Claudia Art⸢e⸣mi = sia, viva posu = it sibi.

TRANSLATION

Claudia Artemisia, while living, set (this sarcophagus) up for herself..

COMMENTARY

In Concordia, the gentilicium Claudius, which was extremely common during the High Empire, is rarely found in Late Antiquity.

The cognomen Artemisia also does not appear to have other attestations in the city, though it is found in Aquileia and Pola in earlier inscriptions (CIL V 1142 = EDR117787; CIL V 1365 = EDR117815; CIL V 103 = EDR138829).

Artemisia was also the name of the wife of a usurper, possibly Procopius, who fell into ruin when her husband was killed (PLRE I, 111-112).

PEOPLE

Claudia Artemisia

NOMEN
Claudia
COGNOMEN
Artemisia
GENS
Claudia
ORIGIN (of the name Artemisia)
latin
GENDER
female
OCCUPATION
civilian
ROLE
dedicator/deceased

Bibliography

Bertolini 1877, 30, n. 20.
CIL V 8988
Lettich 1983, 107, n. 82.
EDR
EDR097930
Author of the record:
Damiana Baldassarra
Date:
21-11-2007