Notes to Funerary Inscription for Nothus

Prose Version
A restatement of the poem in prose word order may be helpful:
Coniunx monumenta non optata tibi locavit ut ultima in aeternis sedibus maneant.
Frustra gavisa spe Nothi quem Pluton invidus prima aetatis ferentem eripuit.
Quaequalis turba hunc etiam flevit et supremum honorem funeris digne inposuit.
Nothus, -i m.
A slave cognomen; the name is a Latinized form of the Greek word (Nothos) meaning illegitimate, baseborn (one born of a slave or concubine). The praenomen and gens nomen (Statilius) of his former master do not appear either by preference or because of metrical or space considerations.
librarius, i m.
scribe, copyist, secretary; with a manu = by hand.
opto (1)
desire, pray for, long for; agrees with monimenta, a poetic plural for the singular. Translate non with optata, not locavit. Since Optata was a common female name, it may here be a pun identfying coniunx.
coniunx, -iugis f.
wife; note how the word stands proudly in the middle of the line beside tibi, immediately after the caesura.
loco (1)
place; situate; the more customary term used by the dedicator of a monument is fecit.
ultimus, -a, -um
final; last. Here it seems to be a poetic expression for reliquiae (remains, ashes) and as such is the subject of maneant.
sedes, -is f.
resting place of the dead, grave; seat, home, dwelling. The plural is often used for the singular. It is a topos of Latin literature, especially funerary epigraphy, that the tomb was a house for the dead, one that was eternal (see SPQR at the end of the line for 10th century BCE terracotta hut-urn from Latium).
ut conjunction
that; so that. Followed by the subjunctive maneant, it introduces a purpose clause. Its position in the line is postponed; read: ut ultima in aeternis sedibus maneant.
maneo, -ere, mansi, mansum
be preserved, continue, survive; the verb echoes Manes, the spirits of the dead.
spes, spei f.
the object of one’s hopes; the person in whom one’s hopes are centered.
frustra adverb
in vain, for nothing, fruitlessly.
gaudeo, -ere, gavisus/a sum
rejoice, be pleased, delight in; followed by the ablative. In the absence of a main verb in the sentence supply est, with coniunx as the subject.
primus, -a, -um
principal; first; neuter plural with aetatis signifying prime. Note how the neuter plural adjectives in ll. 2-3 (ultima . . .prima) suggest the sad message: your end was premature.
aetas, -tatis f.
age, life, time; the contrast between ultima and prima is emphasized by the visual similarity but actual opposition of aeternis and aetatis.
Pluto(n), -onis m.
Hades, king of the underworld, brother of Zeus and Poseidon. While the Fates are often blamed in epitaphs for ending a life, Nothus’ wife blames Pluto, well-known for snatching Persephone and taking her down into his kingdom (see SPQR).
invidus, -a, -um
envious, jealous, hostile.
eripio, -ere, -ripui, -reptum
tear away, take by force, snatch.
fleo, -ere, flevi, fletum
weep for; lament, mourn for.
quaequalis = quae qualis
whichever kind of, whatever sort of, of whatever kind. This word, which occurs only here in extant Latin, may signify from all walks of life or refer to Nothus' associates in a collegium funeraticium (a burial club). The Thesaurus Linguae Latinae s.v. quaequalis cites it as a form of coaequalis meaning coequal, having the same age.
turba, -ae f.
multitude, crowd, throng. As is the case today, a large turnout for a funeral indicates the importance of and affection for the deceased. In his poem of consolation on the death of Priscilla (Silvae 5.1) Statius uses turba, greges, and coetus to refer to the multitude of mourners at her funeral. The SPQR contains an image of mourners processing to the tomb of the Medicus.
digne adverb
fittingly, worthily, rightly. Consider why the author of the poem chose the word digne over merito, which is more frequently found at the close of funerary inscriptions.
funus, -eris n.
funeral rites; funeral ceremony/procession. The SPQR shows a tomb relief of an opulent funeral (Tomb of the Haterii).
impono, -ere, -posui, -positum
place, bestow, assign.


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