174 NOTES ON LATIN INSCRIPTIONS 



"Word in any other inscription. If L, whicb is undoubtedly the present reading, 

 be an error for E, the diflSculty is remored. EMI in the third line presents the 

 next diflSculty ; it might, though unusual, be a contraction for EMERITI ; but that 

 •would be very strangely introduced, after the mention of the age, and -without any 

 notice of the legion to -which Theodorianus had belonged. OMEN" -was most pro^ 

 bably NOMEJJT, and that the abridged form of NOMENTANI." 



. Dr. Thnrnliam {^Crania Briiamiica, Decade 1.) observes : 



" The principal difficulty is confined to t-wo -wovds; the first of the inscription,^ 

 and the EMI in the third line. It seems most probable that both these are 

 prcenomina, the first that of Theodorianus, the other of Theodora ; though -what 

 these names have been it is perhaps not possible to say." * * * The inscrip- 

 tion is probably to be thus read : Diis Manibus [conjectured to have been on the 

 operculum or lid, -which has not been preserved] Mei.„al. Tbeodoriani Nomentani 

 vixit annis xxxiv, mensibus vi. Emi. Theodora mater effieiendum curavit." * * * 

 " Altogether the external evidence is in favour of the remains found in this coffin 

 being those of a Roman citizen and soldier, a native of Italy, and of the ancient 

 Latin territory in the immediate neighbourhood of Rome itself." 



There is no doubt that the only difficulties in the inscription are 

 from M to L in the first line, and EMI in the third. Mr. Wellbe- 

 iloyed's conjecture of NOMENT* is confirmed, as far as the last letter 

 is concerned, by " an accurate rubbing," procured by Dr. Thurnham, 

 "which shows distinctly the ligulate letter T in the word OMENT." 

 It also seems to me evident that Mr. Wellbeloved's readings, 

 MEMORIAL- and EMERITI, must be at once rejected, and for the 

 reasons which he himself states. Nor can I concur with Dr. Thurn- 

 ham in the view which he has taken of the external evidence being in 

 favour of the remains being those of a Roman citizen and soldier. 

 The absence of the usual notice of the legion or cohort seems 

 to suggest the presumption, that Theodorianus had not been a soldier. 



I am inclined to read from M to L thus : MEM- C- VAL-, i. e. 

 Memoria Caii Valerii. MEM may stand for either MEMORIA or 

 -MEMORI^ ; if for the former, I regard it as meaning " The monu- 

 ment ;" if for the latter, " To the memory." I prefer the first 

 interpretation, which is confirmed by the words MEMORIAM" 

 POSSVIT {sic) on another stone coffin also found at York. The 

 abbreviation MEM-anay be justified by the inscription given by Gruter, 

 894, 2, and the construction in the nominative by that given by Mor- 

 celli, cc. 



As to EMI, I regard it as the perfect tense of the verb emo, i. e. as 

 meaning, "I Theodora Ms mother bought." It is scarcely necessary to 



