Category: Epigraphy – Latin

Is this to-be-auctioned Inscription to Vitiris Known?

~ David Meadows ~ rogueclassicist ~ Leave a comment

Before I get the blogosphere posts up, I need to ask about an eBay auction that distracted me last night. It concerns this stone:

vitiris

The text reads:

DEO SAN

CTO VITIRI

LVNARIS

VL VSLM

As of today, it’s an ebay listing at: Ancient Roman Stone Votive Altar For The God Vitris – 3rd Century AD

The official description includes all sorts of info about Vitiris, and concludes with:

Height: 9 ½ inches.
Condition: Very good, with some repair to the right cylindrical roll.
Provenance:
Reputedly found in Durham. Ex. British private collection, north-east England. Acquired 1980’s and shown to a professor at Newcastle Univeristy who provided a translation.

I can’t find this particular inscription listed in any of the online databases (did I miss it)? Is this item from Art Ancient known/published? I wonder who the Newcastle prof is/was?

Jewish Epigraphy Workshop Materials Online

~ David Meadows ~ rogueclassicist ~ Leave a comment

Margaret Williams of the Centre for the Study of Christian Origins recently conducted an epigraphy workshop which consisted of a couple of half-day seminars which provide a really useful overview of what is currently known in regards to Jewish epigraphy in Hellenistic/Roman times. Even better, all the materials (handouts, audio, powerpoints) have been made available online. This seems to be a useful model that other talks/seminar/paper sessions might want to emulate. In any event, details and links available here.