Epitaph wishing peace in the afterlife, with anchor

Photogallery

Epitaph wishing peace in the afterlife, with anchor
Epitaph wishing peace in the afterlife, with anchor
Section XV. Christian inscriptions in Greek

Preceded by an anchor, the inscription on the slab contains the name of the deceased and a wish addressed to her: Κλωδιανὴ, τὸ πνεῦμα σου ἐν εἰρήνῃ “Clodianè, (may) your soul (be) in peace”. Conciseness and the presence of figurative elements typical of the repertoire of the origins, such as the anchor (Christological-soteric symbol, alluding to the cross and salvation), are typical features of the catacomb inscriptions of the first nuclei of catacombs, dating from the first half of the third century. Among these there is a area on the second level of the catacomb of Sant’Ermete, which conserves the remains of the martyr Hyacinth (his epitaph is still in place) and from which this tombstone originates. The anchor is often paired with the fish, alluding to the Greek acrostic ἰχθὺς (ichthýs), formed from the initial letters of the words Ἰ(ησοῦς) Χ(ριστός) Θ(εοῦ) Υ(ἱὸς) Σ(ωτήρ) (read: Iesùs Christòs Theù hyiòs sotèr), “Jesus Christ, Son of God, Saviour”.