Notes to Honorary Inscription for Marullina

Coelia Mascellina: her name appears on a bronze stamp (signaculum), the words separated by tiny amphorae: [belonging to] Coelia Mascellina, daughter of Gnaeus. She also dedicated a funerary inscription, now fragmentary, for her parents in Rome.

Marullus, -i, m.

Lucius Cornelius Marullus was the son of Cornelia Marullina, both of the gens Cornelia; his name in the dative case indicates that the inscription is dedicated to him.

quod, conjunction

because.The inscription opens with a subordinate causal clause (Ordo . . . decreverat) that is dependent on the central statement of the inscription: Cornelia Marullina . . . poni iussit.

Ordo, Ordinis m.

Senate of the civitas of Castulo.

Castulonensis, -is m.f.

citizen of the civitas of Castulo.

liberalitas, -atis f.

generosity, munificence, magnanimity; ablative case after the preposition pro (= in return for).

quod, conjunction

because.This subordinate causal clause (quod [Marullina] . . . decorasset) is dependent on Ordo. . . decreverat.

civitas, -atis f.

city, state.

argenteus, -a, -um

made of silver.

epulum, -i n.

public banquet.

circenses, -ium m. pl.

circus games.

decoro (1)

adorn, beautify. Decorasset is a contracted form of decoravisset, the pluperfect subjunctive; it is used in a subordinate clause in the indirect discourse statuam . . . posituram [esse] se introduced by decreverat.

ei = Cornelia Marullina.

pono, -ere, posui, positum

set up, erect. Posituram must be a carver's error for the future active infinitive positurum [esse], since the subject of the infinitive in this indirect discourse is se, the reflexive pronoun referring back to the masculine noun Ordo.

decerno -ere, decrevi, decretum

resolve upon, decree; determine, decide; the subject is Ordo

honos, -oris m.

honor (i.e. their statues decreed by the Ordo of Castulo); ablative absolute construction with accepto.

poni: infinitive in indirect discourse following Cornelia Marullina . . . iussit; understand statuas as the subject of the infinitive.

illius: Cornelia Marullina.

heres, heredis m. f .

heir.

D[edit] D[edicavit]: understand et between the words.

edo, -ere, edidi, editum

put on, sponsor; ablative absolute construction with circensibus. Bellicus also produced games on Marullina's behalf in connection with the dedication of the statues.

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