Vatican Museums

The inscription was written upon the death of Adeodatus (on the stone, Adeoatus), to whom the epitaph is dedicated, or possibly even earlier, at the time of the purchase of the tomb (locus), as a deed of property. The reference to the tomb is followed only by the name of the deceased, which belongs to a group of very widespread theophoric Christian names composed with Deus: aside from Adeodatus/a, “given by God” we find Deogratias, “Thank God”; Deusdat, “God gives”; Deusdedit, “God gave”; Quodvultdeus, “what God wants”, and Spesindeo, “Hope in God”. Some survive among modern Italian surnames, such as in Diodato. While the text tells us nothing more about the deceased, not even his age, the images on the slab – a large razor blade, a pair of shears, a comb – are entrusted with the task of informing the reader that he performed the job of tonsor, “barber”.