BA30

Type of verse

• Type of verse: Dactílico (ritmo)
• Verse/line correspondence: Si
• Prose/verse distinction: No

Epigraphic edition

Text divided into verses and metric signs

[- – -] nitore [- – -] [ln|ln|l]/l|lk[k|lkk|l~]?

[- – -] poteras [- – -] [ln|ln|l]/kk|l/[n|lkk|l~]

[- – -]is radiare [- – -] [ln|ln|ln]|l/kk|lk[k|l~]

[- – -]sam provid[- – – ] [ln|ln|ln|l]l|lk[k|l~]

5       [- – -] corde [- – -] [ln|ln|ln|ln]|lk[k|l~]

Bibliography

Fita 1897a, 354-355 cum delineamento (inde Vives, ICERV 507 et Canto 1997, 97); Hübner, IHC 355 ex ectypo a Monsalud (Marqués de) praebito (inde Cugusi 2012, 172).

Apparatus

1-6 Ante primum v. alterum Fita ed. (en el renglón primero están algo picadas las letras; de suerte que en vez de LIC puede leerse LIS), sic Fita suppl.: [Mundo fe]lic[em peragens in co]rpore v[itam / Sidereum] poteras [ocul]is radiare [decorem / Cel]sam pro vi[ta co]ncordi s[candis in aedem / Rex ubi Christus adest, quo te mea vota secuntur.]. – V. 1 Cugusi om. – 4 ]sa provi[ Cugusi. – 5 cord(is) Cugusi.

Comentary

All editors agree to point out that Fita’s restitutions are quite uncertain, although Vives and Canto accept them. Fita already highlighted that the epitaph must have been poetic, about what Hübner does not express his opinion. Canto mentions its metric character and it is Cugusi who talks about dactylic verses. In fact, the text presents sequences compatible with dactylic rhythm; the infinitive radiare could make up a hexametric clause, very frequent after the hepthemimeres (cf. eg. Ov. Met. 11, 115; Claudian. 7, 132; 1, 232; Drac. Laud. Dei 1, 420; Paul. Diac. Carm. 56, 31; Prud. Psyc. 470).

The little remains which are preserved only allow us to guess that it is a funerary eulogy, in which very outstanding and exemplary qualities (l. 3: radiare, l. 4: provid(us/-a)) of the deceased are highlighted, with expressions which have epigraphic and literary parallels. Cf. CLE 1431,8; 1390,6 and 699,4: nitens eloquio mitissimus pollebas in corde, where several variations of niteo are used in these contexts (the last two examples are Christian and the last one from Hispania T 18). Between the parallels to reconstruct l. 4, cf.: Mox solis radiare globum iubet igne salutis (Drac. laud. Dei, 1,208) and Si fratris galeam fulvis radiare ceraunis (Prud. Psyc. 470); as for the use of radiandi in Venancio Fortunato, two verses of CLE Christiana offer different imitations: lumen et ad solis radians lux fulva metallis (vita S. Mart. 4, 315); and therefore the image of radiant graves: Hic ubi conspicuis radiant nunc signa metallis /et nitido clarum marmore fulget opus (EChrAfr 3, 158); Aula dei claris radiat speciosa metallis /in qua plus fidei lux pretiosa micat (ILCV 1748). But also: totaque permixtis radiant velamina gemmis 8ib. 2, 90), what also appears in Paul. Petr. Vit. S. Mart 3, 374 and 4, 388), from where different images of praise to the deceased: [n]o nauro aut gemmis set radiat titulo / nam quod Mandroni venerando nomine fulget (CLE 748, 22-23). The adjective providus/-a is frequent in CLE, also in the Christian ones, as a reason for praise (cf. especially CLE 1447,6: provida laudandum semper elegit opus, dedicated to Eugenia, and 913,7: provida pastoris per totum cura Leonis).

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