Tuesday, May 22, 2012

A Tombstone under the Mosque

Despite its misnomer of a title, this article below contains one of those rare reports of the finding of an inscription in Antioch. 

Inscription latine découverte dans une maison de Ramiyeh par M. Brossé
Cagnat, René Comptes-rendus des séances de l'Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres Year 1926 Volume 70 Issue 4 pp. 254-255

In this case, a correspondent of the Academy reports the discovery of a Roman tombstone within the Mosque of the Carpenter, which was later a site of excavations in the 1930s campaigns. It is interesting that the tombstone should be found here as Romans did not conduct burials within the city walls so the stone must have been brought inside the walls and reemployed in some building work at the mosque or whatever structure preceded it.

"M. Virolleaud m'a également communiqué le texte d'une épitaphe sur plaque de marbre, relevée par M. le commandant Tracol, à Antioche, dans un caveau de la mosquée Habib-el-Najja. Elle est ainsi conçue:"

M . AEMILIVS LEPID .
LEIBER . TABVLA

M. Aemilius, Lepidi leiber(lus), tabula[rius...

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