Notes to Univirae Inscriptions

Notes to inscription for Negelia Noniana

Di Manes, m. pl.
the spirits of the dead, the divine spirits; the manes are always plural. The dedicatory abbreviation D M or the full phrase in the dative case is regularly found at the head of funerary inscriptions from the end of the 1st century BCE through the 2nd century CE.
Negelia, -ae, f.
Negelia, praenomen, a personal name, perhaps Gallic in origin. The name of the deceased is either in the dative case or the genitive, after Dis Manibus.
Nonianus, -a, -um
woman of the Gens Nonia, a plebeian family in ancient Rome that holds its first consulship in 36 BCE and is prominent until the end of the 4th century.
rarus, -a, -um
uncommon, extraordinary, remarkable; a superlative form of the adjective.
univira, -ae, f., also univiria (adjective)
once-married; a woman who had only one husband in her life.
vivo, -ere, vixi, victum
live; the subject is the deceased. It is followed by an ablative of specific time.
Vipius, -i, m.
Vipius, the nomen of her husband, not one of the Roman gentes.
Theophilus, -i, m.
Theophilus; cognomen, a Greek name meaning "one who loves the god(s)." Subject of the often unexpressed but understood phrase hoc monumentum fecit.
coniunx/coniux, iugis, m/f
a married person, spouse, husband, wife; in apposition.
carus, -a, -um
dear, precious; valued; loving, affectionate; the superlative form of the adjective.
castus, -a, -um
pure; chaste religious; the superlative form of the adjective.
sine prep with ablative
without.
ullus, -a, -um
any.
querella, -ae, f.
quarrel, argument.

Notes to inscription for Aurelia Domitia

Di Manes, m. pl.
the spirits of the dead, the divine spirits. The dedicatory abbreviation D M or the full phrase in the dative case is regularly found at the head of funerary inscriptions from the end of the 1st century BCE to the end of the 2nd century CE.
Sacer, -cra, -crum
dedicated to a divinity; holy, sacred. The adjective sacrum (agreeing with unexpressed hoc monumentum), sacris (agreeing with Dis Manibus), or the abbreviation D M S is regularly found at the head of funerary inscriptions.
Aurelius, -a, -um
Aurelia, of the Aurelian clan; here, belonging to the gens Aurelia in the imperial house (Augusti) of Marcus Aurelius (161-180). The name of the deceased is either in the dative case or the genitive, after Dis Manibus. Click the SPQR for an image of the emperor Marcus Aurelius.
libertus, -a, -um
made free, set free, emancipated; here a substantive "freedwoman."
Domitia, -ae, f.
Domitia, a cognomen based on the nomen of the gens Domitia, perhaps after Domitia (empress 81-96).
sanctus, -a, -um
pure, chaste, vituous, upright, blameless, upright; superlative form of the adjective.
pius, -a, -um
dutiful, devout, conscientious; kind, good, grateful, respectful, loyal, patriotic; superlative form of the adjective.
pudicus, -a, -um
modest, chaste, virtuous; pudicissimae is the superlative form of the adjective.
sibi reflexive pronoun
to/for him/herself; translate as the indirect object of reverentissimae, referring back to the subject (Pompeianus).
reverens, -entis
respectful, regardful, reverent. Superlative form of the present participle of revereor.
Pompeianus, -i, m.
Pompeianus; cognomen. Subject of the often unexpressed but understood phrase hoc monumentum fecit. Click the SPQR for an image of the young emperor Marcus Aurelius.
maritus, -i, m.
husband, spouse, in apposition.
fero, ferre, tuli, latum
attain, reach;bear, lead, conduct. The subject is the deceased, followed by the accusative of duration of time an[nos].
aetas, -tatis, f.
age. Object of tulit.

Notes to inscription for Fabia Fuscinilla

Fabius, -a, -um
Fabia; of the Fabian clan; nomen of a woman belonging to the gens Fabia. Her name in the dative case as the dedicatee, the indirect object of the phrase hoc monumentum fecit.
Fuscinilla, -ae, f.
Fuscinilla; woman's cognomen, perhaps formed from the diminutive of her father's name Fuscus, a term meaning dark in color, olive-skinned.
clarus, -a, um
clear, bright, celebrated, renowned. During the Empire the superlative form of the adjective (clarissimus/a), an honorific, came to be restricted to those of senatorial rank and their families.
virtus, -tutis, f.
bravery, excellence; virtue, moral perfection; courage, worth, a quality prized in men and women.
fecundus, -a, -um
fertile, fruitful; abounding in; abundant, followed by the genitive case (virtutum).
Clodius, -i, m.
Clodius, the plebeian spelling of the nomen of the gens Claudia, one of the most prominent patrician clans in Rome.
Celsinus, -i, m.
Celsinus, a male cognomen derived from the adjective celsus, meaning lofty, high, elevated.
nondum adverb
not yet. The elegiac poem, a personal address, begins here.
compleo, -ere, -plevi, -pletus
complete, fill out; ablative absolute with annis.
viginti indeclinable adjective
twenty.
quattuor indeclinable adjective
four.
a/ab preposition + ablative
from, away from. Ablative of separation.
natus, -i, m.
son; child, offspring; in the plural it can signify both sons and daughters.
trini, -ae, -a
three; three each; threefold.
vir, -i, m.
an adult male; husband; man.
eripio, -ripere, -ripui, -reptum
snatch, tear away, take away. Note the personal voice: Fabia Fuscinilla speaks to the reader of her tomb inscription.
nomine adverb
by name.
Petelinus, -a, -um
of Petelia; modifies domo. Petelia was an ancient city in Bruttia, an Italian territory north of Croton.
domus, -us/-i f.
house, home; ablative of source/place after orta.
orior, -iri, ortus/a sum
be born; arise from; begin life.
nupta, -ae, f.
bride; veiled for; followed by dative of husband (Celsino).
unanimis, -e
of one mind, in accord; harmonious; perhaps a play on the word (inanimis= "lifeless, inanimate").

Notes to inscription for Postumia Matronilla

Di Manes, m. pl.
the spirits of the dead, the divine spirits. The dedicatory abbreviation D M or the full phrase in the dative case is regularly found at the head of funerary inscriptions from the end of the 1st century BCE to the end of the 2nd century CE.
Sacer, -cra, -crum
dedicated to a divinity; holy, sacred. The adjective sacrum (agreeing with unexpressed hoc monumentum), sacris (agreeing with Dis Manibus), or the abbreviation D M S is regularly found at the head of funerary inscriptions from the end of the 1st century BCE to the end of the 2nd century CE.
Postumia, -ae f.
Postumia (born after the father's death); a woman's gentile name. Note that Dis Manibus Sacrum is treated as a title; in the absence of a dedicator, the name of the deceased is in the nominative case.
Matronilla, -ae f.
little mother; a woman's cognomen.
incon/mparabilis, -e
unequalled, beyond comparison, matchless
avia, -ae f.
grandmother.
religiosus, -a, -um
reverent, devout, religious; conscientious.
laboriosus, -a, -um
hard-working, industrious, diligent.
frugi, indeclinable adjective
honest, deserving, thrifty.
efficax, -cacis
effective; efficient; valid.
vigilans, -antis
watchful, heedful.
sollicitus, -a, -um
concerned, attentive; involved; occupied.
unicuba, -ae, f.
she who has slept only with one man. Why might the dedicator(s) add this less common epithet to univira?
totus, -a, -um
whole, entire; completely, entirely; irregularly declined: totius is the genitive singular for all three genders.
industria, -ae, f.
application, purposefulness. Genitive of quality with matrona.
fides, -ei, f.
good faith, loyalty, allegiance. Genitive of quality with matrona.
matrona, -ae, f.
married woman, wife.
numerus, -i, m.
number; ablative of the respect in which, after annis and mensibus (ablative of time within which).


Close this window after final use.