BA4 Christian funerary inscription.

BA4 Christian funerary inscription.

Reference CLE 789 | Description | Type of letters | Location | Chronology | Edición epigráfica | Translation | Apparatus | Commentary | Type of verse | Text divided into verses and metric signs | Images | Bibliography | Link to DB | Author |

BA4 Christian funerary inscription.

Description

  • Idno filename 22/01/0034
  • Type of inscription: Sepulcralis
  • Religion: Christian
  • Lost

Location

  • Place of discovery: Fregenal de la Sierra, perhaps in the Visigothic monastic settlement of San Miguel, cf. Berrocal – Caso. There in Frexenal at the door of San Miguel on a rock there is written this, and it seems to be from the time of the Goths (Allí en Frexenal a la puerta de San Miguel en una peña esta escrito esto, y parece del tiempo de los Godos) Morales.
  • Geolocation
    •
  • Location with Modern Nomenclature España / Badajoz / Fregenal de la Sierra
  • Location with Old Nomenclature Hispania / Baetica / Hispalensis / Nertobriga Concordia Iulia

Chronology

  • Inscription's dating: Between year 501 and year 699
  • Dating explanation: The archeological context of the hermitage of San Miguel and the heading In nomine Domini point to the 6th c. – 7th c. The only certain terminus post quem is the epitaph to Paula, who died in 404.

Type of verse

  • Type of verse: Hexameter
  • Verse/line correspondence: No
  • Prose/verse distinction: No

Edición epigráfica

In nomine Domini hic tumulus Ho-

norii abbat(is)

respicis angustum precisa rupe sepul-

crum hospitium beatissimi Honorii abba-

5      tis c(a)elestia regna tenentis in s(a)ecula

saeculorum amen.

Text divided into verses and metric signs

Respicis angustum pr(a)ecisa rupe sepulcrum lkk|ll|l/l|ll|lkk|l~

Hospitium {beatissimi} Honor͡ii {abbatis} celestia regna tenentis. lkkH|k/kl|l/l|lkk|lkk|l~

 

Translation

In the name of the Lord. This is the tomb of abbot Honorius. You are contemplating a narrow sepulchre dug out of rock, the dwelling of the blessed abbot Honorius, who is enjoying the kingdom of heaven for ever and ever amen.

Bibliography

Morales 1574–1586, 100; ex eo Hübner, IHC 49 (inde Bücheler, CLE 789, cuius exemplum in linguam Hispanicam vertit Fernández Martínez 1998-99; Diehl, ILCV 1647; Vives, ICERV 280). – Cf. Berrocal – Caso 1991, 306; Marengo 1995, p. 375–379; Canto 1997, 76 n. 53.

Commentary

Epitaph of an unknown abbot Honorius, based on the epitaph to Saint Paula by Saint Jerome, epist. 108: aspicis angustum praecisa rupe sepulcrum / hospitium Paulae est caelestia regna tenentis. The first verse, with the sole variant of respicis for aspicis, does not spoil the scheme of the hexameter. However, the scheme is spoiled in the second when the name of the deceased is replaced with the syntagma beatissimi Honorii abbatis. The epitaph to Paula was also the origin of another epigraphic poem, cf. CLE 788: respicis angustum precisa rupe sepulcrum / hospitium Romuli levitae est caelestia regna tenentis.

  1. 1, In nomine Domini is a common formula at the beginning of inscriptions commemorating the consecration of churches and the receiving of relies, as well as in Christian epitaphs, vid. Vives 1969, 98 – 112. L. 4, on the metaphorical use of hospitium for sepulcrum, cf. Hernández Pérez 2001a, 135 – 136; ll. 5 – 6, in saecula saeculorum, a lithurgical echo of Apoc. 1, 6 y 22, 5, vid. Escolà – Martínez Gázquez 2002. 

Link to DB

Author

  • Author:J. M. Escolà Tusset, J. Martínez Gázquez
  • Last Update2025-08-05 12:47:25

You can download this