Latin Funerary Inscriptions | Epitaphs for Women
Volusia Romana
By Elisabeth Campbell and Matthew Roller
Measurements: Height: 37.1 cm, Width: 48 cm, Thickness: 4 cm
Material: Marble
Date/Culture: Roman, 2nd – 3rd century CE
Provenance: Rome, Italy
Translation
“To the spirits of the dead: for Volusia Romana, pious mother (lived 70 years). Bononius Syntrophes and Volusius Asclepiades made [this monument] for themselves and their relatives. 8 feet in depth, 9 feet in frontage [i.e, the size of burial plot]”
Description
This stone was set up for a woman named Volusia Romana who died at 70 years of age. Presumably the two men mentioned as builders of the monument are her sons. The last two lines contain a common formula, specifying the size of the burial plot. It was supposed to be 9 feet wide at the front (“IN F”, or in fronte), meaning the street side of the tomb; and 8 feet deep, extending into the area next to the road (“IN A”, or in agro).
References
H.L. Wilson; R. van Deman Magoffin, “Latin Inscriptions at the Johns Hopkins University VIII,” American Journal of Philology 35 (1914), 421-434, 432.
The inscription is described in the US Epigraphy Project hosted by Brown University.