ABSTVLIT ATRA DIES ET FVNERE MERSIT ACERVO
HAEC MATER ET GENITOR CONSCRIBVNT CARMINA BVSTO
QVO LEGENTI SIMVL REDEAT SVB CORDE FIGVRA
ET SICCATA SAEPE MADESCANT LVMINA FLETV
SIC MEDICATVR AMOR NEC CVRANT CARMINA MANES.
“What sweet children, what dear pledges promise, a dire day has borne away, and plunged in bitter death. The father and mother, together, write these verses on the tomb, in order that to any one reading, the image may at once return to the soul, and the eyes, long dry, may moisten with tears. Thus love administers relief, nor do the spirits care for songs.”
No less fervent expressions of affection are employed toward their adult offspring by surviving parents. Indeed they are, if possible, still more intense, as if wrung from the bleeding heart by grief for the fallen column of the house—the broken staff of their declining years. In the following, from the Lapidarian gallery, the epithets of endearment are lavishly heaped upon the beloved object: ADSERTORI FILIO KARO DVLCI INNOCO ET INCOMPARABILI QVI VIXIT ANNIS XVII · M · VII · DIEBVS VIII · PATER ET MATER FECER(VNT)—“To Adsertor, our dear, sweet, guileless, and incomparable son, who lived seventeen years, seven months, eight days. His father and mother made this.”
Of similar character are the following: PAVLA CLARISSIMA FAEMINA DVLCIS BENIGNA GRATIOSA FILIA—“Paula, an illustrious woman, a sweet, kind, and gracious daughter;” NIMIVM CITO DECIDISTI CONSTANTIA MIRVM PVLCHRITVDINIS ATQVE IDONEITATIS—“Too soon hast thou fallen, Constantia, wonderful (example) of beauty and ability.”
Similar evidences of parental affection and grief occur in pagan inscriptions, though often overshadowed
by a deep and dark despair. Thus we read such tender epithets of little children as FILIAE DVLCISSIMAE IAM GARRVLAE BIMVLAE NONDVM—“To a very sweet daughter now prattling, not yet two little years of age;” OBSEQVENTISSIMAE FILIAE—“To a most obedient daughter;” MATER MOERENS FILIO EX QVO NIHIL VNQVAM DOLVIT NISI CVM IS NON FVIT—“The grieving mother to her son, from whom she never received any pain but when he was not,”—that is, when he died; PARVAE BVSTA PVELLAE THREPTVS PATER FECIT QVIS NON VVLTVM RIGAT LACRIMIS MAERORE COACTVS QVIS NON TRISTITIAM PECTORE CONCIPIT—“Her foster-father made this tomb of a little girl. Who does not moisten his face with tears, compelled by grief? Who does not cherish sorrow in his bosom?” ADOLESCENTVLAE DVLCISSIMAE PATER PIISSIMVS ET INFELICISSIMVS FECIT—“To a most sweet young maiden, her most affectionate and unhappy father gave this tomb;” FLEVIT ET ASSIDVO MAESTVS VTERQVE PARENS—“Both the sorrowful parents wept incessantly.”