835. Christian funerary inscription

Description:
Two re-used paving-slabs of grey limestone (w: 1.03 x h: 1.01 and w: 1.03 x h: 1.20).  
Text:
Inscribed on one face. 
Letters:
0.14-0.16; capitals, with uncial D in the last line. 
Date:
Fifth century A.D. (lettering, context) 
Findspot:
Lepcis Magna: Forum Vetus, in situ near 839, 843 in the small cemetery immediately North of the apse of Church II.  
Original Location:
Findspot 
Last recorded location:
Findspot 
Bibliography:
Bartoccini, Rivista di Archeologia cristiana della Pontificia Commissione di Archeologia sacra VIII:46, no. 4. This edition taken from J. M. Reynolds and J. B. Ward-Perkins, The Inscriptions of Roman Tripolitania, Rome: British School at Rome, 1952.  
Text constituted from:
Transcription (Reynolds, Ward-Perkins) 
tau-rho B(onae) m(emoriae) Dem-
etria filia
Stefani lo-
ki serb(atoris) uixit
5in pac{a}e
ann(os) III m(en)s(es) VI
di(e)s XIIII d(e)f(uncta) die ma-
rtis m(ense) Mar-
tio ind(ictione) VIII
tau-rho BMDEM
ETRIAFILIA
STEFANILO
KISERBVIXIT
5INPAC{A}E
ANNIIIMSVI
DISXIIIIDFDIEMA
RTISMMAR
TIOINDVIII
<ab>
<lb n="1" />
<g type="tau-rho" > </g>
<expan>
<abbr>
B
</abbr>
<ex>
onae
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
m
</abbr>
<ex>
emoriae
</ex>
</expan>
Dem
<lb n="2" type="worddiv" />
etria
filia
<lb n="3" />
Stefani
lo
<lb n="4" type="worddiv" />
ki
<expan>
<abbr>
serb
</abbr>
<ex>
atoris
</ex>
</expan>
uixit
<lb n="5" />
in
pac
<sic >
a
</sic>
e
<lb n="6" />
<expan>
<abbr>
ann
</abbr>
<ex>
os
</ex>
</expan>
<num value="3" >
III
</num>
<expan>
<abbr>
m
</abbr>
<ex>
en
</ex>
<abbr>
s
</abbr>
<ex>
es
</ex>
</expan>
<num value="6" >
VI
</num>
<lb n="7" />
<expan>
<abbr>
di
</abbr>
<ex>
e
</ex>
<abbr>
s
</abbr>
</expan>
<num value="14" >
XIIII
</num>
<expan>
<abbr>
d
</abbr>
<ex>
e
</ex>
<abbr>
f
</abbr>
<ex>
uncta
</ex>
</expan>
die
ma
<lb n="8" type="worddiv" />
rtis
<expan>
<abbr>
m
</abbr>
<ex>
ense
</ex>
</expan>
Mar
<lb n="9" type="worddiv" />
tio
<expan>
<abbr>
ind
</abbr>
<ex>
ictione
</ex>
</expan>
<num value="8" >
VIII
</num>
</ab>

Translation:

(Monogram cross.) To her good memory. Demetria, daughter of Stephanus, the guardian of this place. She lived in peace for three years, six months and fourteen days, and died on the day of Mars in the month of March, in the eighth indiction.

Commentary:

The child died within two days of the two recorded in 839 and 843, evidently from some epidemic.

Photographs:

Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (BSR 46.XXI.13)
 Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (BSR 46.XXI.13)
Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (Sopr. B. 1542)
 Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (Sopr. B. 1542)

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