[752] Compare, in Propertius’ elegy on Cornelia, the line
Viximus insignes inter utramque facem.
“I lived spotless from the kindling of my marriage torch to that which lit my funeral pyre.”
[753] The text and translation are as given by Burgon.
[754] Dr. Northcote indeed asserts that “there are actually more instances of alumni among the sepulchral inscriptions of the Christians than among the infinitely more numerous sepulchral inscriptions of the pagans.” (Page 136.) The accompanying Greek examples are characteristic of the class: ΠΡΟΚΛΗ ΘΡΕΠΤΗ, “To Procla, an adopted daughter;” ΠΕΤΡΟϹ ΘΡΕΠΤΟϹ ΓΛΥΚΥΤΑΤΟϹ ΕΝ ΘΕΩ, “Peter, a most sweet adopted son, in God.”
The titles mamma and tata, sometimes in their diminutive forms mamula and tatula, equivalent to our mamma and papa, occur in Christian and pagan epitaphs.
[755] The expression papasantimio was erroneously translated “most holy Pope” by Paoli and Fea, but their mistake was long since pointed out. Maitland, and Bishop Kip who followed him, fell into the same error. De Rossi severely criticises the former as “most ignorant of the whole controversy, known even to blear-eyed and barbers.”—Totius controversiæ, vel lippis ac tonsoribus notæ, ignarissimus.—Inscrip. Antiq., p. 177. The translation above given is that of Dr. McCaul.
[756] This example and translation are from Maitland. It will be observed that Domnina must have been married before her fourteenth birthday. Several notices of early marriages occur, as e.g.
VISCILIVS NICENI · COSTAE · SVAE QVAE FVIT ·
ANNOR · P · M · XXXI · EX QVIBVS DVRABIT · MECVM ANNOS XV—
“Viscilius to Nice, his rib, who was of thirty-one years (of age) more or less, of which she passed with me fifteen years.” The use of costa for uxor is doubtless an allusion to Genesis ii, 21. We read also of Felicissima, QVAE VIXIT ANNVS LX · QVAE FECIT CVM VIRO SVO ANNVS XLV—“Who lived sixty years, who passed with her husband forty-five years;” and of Januaria, L · F · QVAE VIXIT PL · M · ANN · XXVIII · C · MARITV · FEC ANN XV · M · XI · D · X—“A praiseworthy woman, who lived twenty-eight years, more or less; she passed with her husband fifteen years, eleven months, ten days.” She was, therefore, married when about twelve years of age. The earliest date of marriage we have noticed is the following: CONSTANTIAE BENEMERENTI BERGINIVS CASTAE CONPARAE · CVM QVA · FECIT ANNIS VIII. QVE VICSIT (sic) ANNIS XVIII · MENSES VIIII · DIES XVII.—“Virginius, to the well-deserving Constantia, his chaste consort, with whom he lived eight years, who lived eighteen years, nine months, seventeen days.” She was less than eleven years old when married. It must be borne in mind, however, that marriage still occurs at a very early age in these southern latitudes, as both sexes attain nubile years much sooner than in northern climates. But this precocious maturity is followed, especially in females, by a premature decline. Like the brilliant flowers of their own fervid clime, they early bloom and quickly fade.