Funerary Inscription of Aurelius Marcus from Timacum Minus

Monument InscSerbia8
Editor
Type of monument
stele
Material
limestone
Findspot
Fortress of Ravna
Observed in
Found built into the exterior foundations of the fortress; excavated 1899; still near the site in 1902; transferred to Niš in 1934. Now in the lapidarium in the Fortress of Niš.
Origin
Timacum Minus
Dimensions
Institution and inventory
-
No -
Hand description
Letter size
height 5–8 cm.
Layout description
Moulded inscription field
Inscription field
height 53 (originally 80.5) cm., width 34 cm.
Decoration
Audio
Text
Category of inscription
funerary inscription - prose
Date
2nd–3rd century AD
Dating criteria
lettering
Images
copy_r_1 copy_r_2
txt

Рrose la
D(is) M(anibus)
Val(erius) Marcus
vixit ann(is) XVIIII
a latronibus
5interfectus
Val(erius) Eutychus et Sextilia Frontina
filio
b(ene) m(erenti) posuerunt.

DM
VALMARCVS
VIXITANNXVIIII
ALATRONIBVS
5INTERFECTVS
VALEVTYCHVSETSEXTILIAFRONTINA
FILIO
BMPOSVERVNT
txt
To the divine shades. Valerius Marcus lived for 19 years. He was killed by bandits. Valerius Eutychus and Sextilia Frontina set up (this monument) for their deserving son.
Dis Manibus Valerius Marcus vixit annis XVIIII a latronibus interfectus Valerius Eutychus et Sextilia Frontina filio bene merenti posuerunt.

tag: ab
⤦ n: 1

tag: lb
Dis Manibus

type: divine
tag: persName
Dis

tag: expan
D

tag: abbr
is

tag: ex
Manibus

tag: expan
M

tag: abbr
anibus

tag: ex
⤦ n: 2

tag: lb
Valerius Marcus

type: attested
nymRef: Valerius Marcus
tag: persName
Valerius

nymRef: Valerius
tag: name
Marcus

nymRef: Marcus
tag: name
⤦ n: 3

tag: lb
vixit

lemma: vivo
tag: w
annis

lemma: annus
tag: w
XVIIII

value: 19
tag: num
⤦ n: 4

tag: lb
a

tag: w
latronibus

lemma: latro
tag: w
⤦ n: 5

tag: lb
interfectus

lemma: interficio
tag: w
⤦ n: 6

tag: lb
Valerius Eutychus

type: attested
nymRef: Valerius Eutychus
tag: persName
Valerius

nymRef: Valerius
tag: name
Eutychus

nymRef: Eutychus
tag: name
et

tag: w
Sextilia Frontina

type: attested
nymRef: Sextilia Frontina
tag: persName
Sextilia

nymRef: Sextilia
tag: name
Frontina

nymRef: Frontina
tag: name
⤦ n: 7

tag: lb
filio

lemma: filius
tag: w
⤦ n: 8

tag: lb
bene

lemma: bene
tag: w
merenti

lemma: mereo
tag: w
posuerunt

lemma: pono
tag: w
.

tag: #text
Apparatus
Letters in ligature:

2 ) VAL, MA, VS;

3 ) IT, AN, NI;

5 ) NI;

6 ) IN, TE, VS;

7 ) VAL;

8 ) ET, TI;

9 ) TI.

Interpunction in the form of triangles

Readings

1 )

Commentary

The lack of abreviation in Marcus recognizes its cognominal status. Dozens of Roman epitaphs contain the phrase a latronibus interfectus, ‘killed by bandits’; with especial emphasis AE 1934.209 (Ulpiana) a latronibus atrocissima mortem [per]pessus est, ‘died a most atrocious death’. Legally threatened with most severe punishments (in Roman times crucifixion was the rule), banditry was often suppressed by the authorities but never quite eradicated. Many dedicants felt the need to be explicit about causes of their kin’s death: e.g. CIL 3.3355 (Brigetio) feminae rarissim[ae] ac pudicissimae cuius mortem .. contigisse per culpam curantium co[n]queror, an ideal wife deceased because she wasn’t given proper cure; CIL 3.2399 (Salona) Iul(iae) Restutae infelicissimae interfectae annor(um) X caus(a) ornamentor(um), a young girl killed for the jewels she wore; CIL 6.19747 (Rome) eripuit me saga manus crudelis, a little boy killed by black magic. [Vojin Nedeljković]

Bibliography

K. Patsch, Glas Sarajevo 9, 1899, 723.

K. Patsch, Wissenschaftliche Mitteilungen aus Bosnien und der Hercegowina 8, 1902, 123.

A. von Premerstein – N. Vulić, Jahreshefte des Österreichischen Archäologischen Institutes in Wien, Beiblatt 3, 1900, 143–145, n. 45, drawing.

A. von Premerstein – N. Vulić, Spomenik 38, 1900, 33–34, n. 45, drawing.

Inscriptiones Latinae Selectae 8504.

Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum 03, 14587.

AE 1901, 0019.

N. Vulić, Spomenik 98, 1941–1948, 87, n. 186, photo.

ILJug 1343.

IMS 3, 2, 093, photo and drawing.

HD032334.

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current_version: 1 / 23.12.2025