We have also such examples as, MATER AD LVCTVM ET GEMITVM RELICTA EVM LACRIMIS ET OPOBALSAMO VDVM HOC SEPVLCHRO CONDIDIT—“His mother, left to sorrow and groaning, buried him, moist with tears and balsam, in this tomb;” QVAE OB DESIDERIVM FILI SVI PIISSIMI VIVERE ABOMINAVIT ET POST DIES XV FATI EIVS ANIMO DESPONDIT—“Who, on account of her yearning for her most affectionate son, hated life, and, fifteen days after his death, also died.”
Sometimes in their passionate grief the heathen parents reproach themselves for surviving their children, as in the following.
CRVDELIS IMPIA MATER CARIS SVIS DVLCISSIMIS ... INFELICISSIMA MATER QVI (sic) VIDIT FVNVS SVVM CRVDELISSIMVM QVAE SI DEVM PROPITIVM HABVISSET HOC DEBVERA (sic) EOS PATI.
The cruel, impious mother, to her dear, most sweet children. The most unhappy mother, who saw (in theirs) her own most cruel death, who, if she had had a propitious deity, ought to have suffered this for them—(that is, have died in their stead.)
HIC IACET EXTINCTVS CRVDELI FVNERE NATVS
VLTIMA VIVENDI QVI MIHI CAVSA FVIT.
Here lies, destroyed by cruel fate, a son, who was my only reason for living.
Often the expressions in Christian epitaphs of filial affection to deceased parents are exceedingly tender and beautiful, as for example: PATRI DVLCISSIMO BENEMERENTI IN PACE—“To our sweetest father, well-deserving, in peace,” (A. D. 356); TIGRITI BENEMERENTI.... FILIVS FECI MATRI—“To the well-deserving Tigris.... I, her son, made this for my mother,” (A. D. 393;) HOC TVMVLVM PATRIS FILIVS FIERI VOLVIT CAVSA AMORIS PATERNI RECORDATIONIS—“This tomb of his father the son wished to be made on account of his remembrance of paternal affection;” TE PARENS SOBOLES CONIVNXQVE FIDELIS TE MIXTIS LACRIMIS LVGET AMATA DOMVS—“Thee thy parent, thy offspring, thy faithful consort, thee a loved home, with mingled tears, lament,” (A. D. 533.)
HEV MEMORANDE PATER LONGI MIHI CAVSA DOLORIS
OPTASTI IN MANIBVS FILIORVM SAEPE TVORVM
SVMERE ET AMPLEXV DVLCI TENVARE NEPOTVM.