Part 23 (1/2)

Also--and this is remarkable--the name of the girl is Calpurnia; and Caius Marius was a native of Arpinum, and when this town was taken by the Romans from the Samnites, in B.C. 188, the franchise was given to the inhabitants, who were enrolled in the Calpurnian _gens_. Now this is a little fact that it is most improbable a forger would know--but it quite explains the girl receiving the name of Calpurnia, if genuine.

2. The Tomb of Julia Tyranna. The inscription runs:--

IVLIae . LVC . FILIae . TYRANNIae .

VIXIT ANN . XX . M . VIII .

QVae MORIBVS . PARITER . ET .

DISCIPLINA . CETERIS . FEMINIS .

EXEMPLO . FVIT . ANTARCIVS .

NVRVI . LAVRENTIVS . VCXORI .

It was raised to her memory by her father-in-law Antarcius, and by her husband, Laurentius. The organ is represented with seven pipes.

3.

O DOLOR . QVANTae LACHRIMae . FECERE SEPVLCRVM . IVL . LV CINae . QVae . VIXIT . KA D . RISSIMA . MATRI . FLOS . ae M.

TATIS . HIQ . IACET . INTVS .

CONDITA . SAXOO . VTINAM .

POSSIT . REPARARI . SPIRITVS . ILLE .

VT . SCIRET . QVANTVS . DOLOR . EST .

QVae . VIXIT . ANN . XXVII . M . X . DIE XIII .

IVL . PARTHENOPE . POSVIT . INFELIX MATER .

”O Grief! what tears have watered this tomb of Julia Lucina who in life was very dear to her mother. Carried off in the flower of her age, here she lies, buried in this marble tomb. Would that her spirit might be restored, that she might learn how great is my grief. She lived twenty-seven years, ten months, and thirteen days. Julia Parthenope, her unhappy mother, raised this.”

4.

HYDRIae TERTVLLae C . F . CONIVGI . AMANTISSI Mae ET AXIae OELIANae .

FILIae DVLCISSIMae .

TERENTIVS MVSEVS HOC SEPVLCRVM POSVIT .

”Terentius Musaeus placed this to his most loving wife, Hydria Tertulla, and to his most sweet daughter, Axia Oeliana.” On this is a child with a c.o.c.k in hand, an oblation to the infernal deities.

5.

F . MARIO . MF .

MARINO .

EXS . TESTA MENTO .

Observe in this, as in No. 3, the queer spelling, in both phonetic:--HIQ, SAXOO, EXS.

6. Here is a Christian inscription:--

INTEGER . ATQVE . PIVS . VITA . ET . CORPORE . PVRVS .

aeTERNO . HIC . POSITVS . VIVIT . CONCORDIVS . aeVO .

QVI . TENERIS . PRIMVM . MINISTER . FVLSIT .

IN . ANNIS .