THE FIRST SIX CENTURIES. 297 



♦ 



SEMPEK COMITATa 

 SVPERSTES • QVEM post 

 FATA SIBI CREDID^^ 

 ESSE DVCEM- 

 DEPOSITA IN PACE 

 CON FESTI ET "^arciani 

 {In atrio eoemet. S. Laurentii in agro Verano ; De Rossi, n. 841. )■ 



Sunw soror carmen solatia trista (tristia) fratris, 

 Qui solus gemitu hec (liaec) tihi verba dedit. 



Quce tegitur tumulo si vis eognoscere, lector, 

 Sublimes gessit sanguinis Jicec titulos. 



Moribus Jiec (hsec) Cristum (Christum) semper comitata su- 

 Quem post fata sibi credidit esse ducem. \_perstes, 



Deposita in pace Consulatu JFesti et Marciani. 



" Sister, take these verses, the sad comfort of your brother, who, in 

 lonely lamentation, has given these words to you. Eeader, if you desire 

 to know who is covered by this tomb, she bore names that told her 

 high descent. She, when alive, always followed, in her conduct, Christ, 

 who, she believed, would be her guide after death. Buried in peace, in 

 the Consulship of Festus and Marcianus," i.e. 4*72, a.d. 



V. 4. I have interpreted this verse as referring ' to such names as 

 Eugenia. It is scarcely possible that it can mean martyrdom. There 

 is no dated epitaph in which the deceased is called Martyr, or is 

 said to have suffered such a death : and in those not dated, examples . 

 are extremely rare. 



(i.) To a Foster-father:— 48. 



PERPETVAM • SEDEM NVTRITOR POSSIDES IPSE 

 HIC MERITVS FINEM MAGNIS DEFVNCTE PERICLIS 

 HIC REQVIEM FELIX SVMIS COaENTIBVS ANNIS 

 HIC POSIT VS PAPASANTIMIO QVI YIXIT ANNIS LXX 

 DEPOSITVSDOMINONOSTROAECADIOIIETFLRVFINO 

 VVCCSS NONAS NOBEMB 



{E vinea, via Salaria nova; De Rossi, n. 403.).. 



Perpetuam sedem, nutrifor, possides ipse: 

 Sic meritus finem magnis defuncte periclis : 

 Sic requiem felix sumis cogentibus annis : 

 Sic positus papas Antimio qui vixit annis 



