Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Chryse

From a marble stone found in 1981 at Ostia, near the church of St. Aurea, a 3rd century martyr.

CHRYS[...
HIC DORM[...

Chrys[e]
hic dorm[it]

Chryse
sleeps here

Because "Aurea" mean golden in Latin, and "Chryse" means the same in Greek, some conjecture that this might have been the grave of the Saint herself.

Saturday, January 15, 2011

Salvidiena Faustilla

V . SALVIDIENA . Q . L . HILARA
SALVIDIENAE . FAVSTILLAE
DELICIAE . SVAE
ERVDITAE . OMNIBVS . ARTIBVS
RELIQVISTI  MAMMAM TVAM
GEMENTEM . PLANGENTEM . PLORANTEM
VIX . AN . XV
MENSIB . III . DIEB. XI . HOR . VII
VIRGINEM . ERIPVIT . FATVS . MALVS
DESTITVISTI . VITILLA . MEA
MISERAM . MAMMAM . TVAM

V(iva) Salvidiena Q(uinti) l(iberta) Hilara
Salvidienae Faustulae,
deliciae suae,
eruditae omnibus artibus
reliquisti mammam tuam
gementem, plangentem, plorantem.
Vix(it) an(nis) XV,
mensib(us) III, dieb(us) XI, hor(is) VII.
Virginem eripuit Fatus malus.
Destituisti vitilla mea 
miseram mammam tuam.


The living Salvidiena Hilara, freedwoman of Quintus,
(dedicates this) to Salvidiena Faustilla,
her sweetheart,
accomplished in all the arts.
You have left your Mama
grieving, mourning, weeping.
She lived 15 years, 
3 months, 11 days, 7 hours.
Evil fate has stolen the maiden.
My darling, you have abandoned
your unhappy Mama.