Tombstone with epitaph of a Palermitan

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Tombstone with epitaph of a Palermitan
Tombstone with epitaph of a Palermitan
Section XV. Christian inscriptions in Greek

Ἐνθάδε κεῖται Σύμφορος Σικε(λὸς) Πανορμίτης “Here lies Sýmphoros, a Sicilian from Palermo”. Sýmphoros was one of the many people, originating from places both near and far, united by the common circumstance of passing through Rome or transferring there, and ending their earthly life there, driven by a fate that most of the time we can only imagine. Many came to Rome for commercial reasons, others for reasons of a religious nature. We are not certain of the religious beliefs of the deceased, as we have no data on the origin of the slab and the inscription does not include specific elements of one religion or another. The initial formula ἐνθάδε κεῖται “here lies”, common in Christian inscriptions, often begins the sepulchral inscriptions of Jewish clients (see those conserved in the Museums in the Jewish Lapidarium). The name of the deceased, however, although not attested to among the Jews of Rome, it found among the Christians.