PAUCA TAMEN MEMORANS: A SELECTION OF LATE ANTIQUE EPITAPHS COMMEMORATING YOUNG WOMEN ______________________________________ A Dissertation presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School at the University of Missouri-Columbia ___________________________________________________ In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy ________________________________________________ by KRISTIN J. HARPER Dr. Dennis Trout, Dissertation Supervisor JULY 2019 © Copyright by Kristin Harper 2019 All Rights Reserved The undersigned, appointed by the dean of the Graduate School, have examined the dissertation entitled PAUCA TAMEN MEMORANS: A SELECTION OF LATE ANTIQUE EPITAPHS COMMEMORATING YOUNG WOMEN presented by Kristin Harper, a candidate for the degree of doctor of philosophy, and hereby certify that, in their opinion, it is worthy of acceptance. _______________________________________________ Professor Dennis Trout _______________________________________________ Professor Raymond Marks _______________________________________________ Professor Marcus Rautman _______________________________________________ Professor Barbara Wallach _______________________________________________ Professor Dennis Kelley To my family, friends, the acro yoga community, the AMS department, and to Minnie and Checkers, for their support. To Patrick, Nicolette, Adam, and Tracy Anne for always talking through my thoughts and helping me formulate my ideas. I would not have been able to complete this without their patience, notes on initial drafts, encouragement, and especially their friendship. To Dr. Sarah Glenn, Mr. and Mrs. Zelden, Dr. George and Prof. Rulman, Mr. and Mrs. O’Connor, and Father Gregory, who all sparked my early love of the Humanities. To Emily Arth who has helped to reveal the inner workings of my heart. To my parents for their continuous positive outlook and emotional support. And to my sister for her continuous supply of jokes. ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to thank all my professors at the University of Missouri-Columbia, especially my dissertation advisor, Dr. Trout, without whom I never would have found the joys of researching inscriptions, walking through catacombs, and the expansive use of Bob Dylan; and Dr. Marks, whose advice about life, teaching, and graduate school has been invaluable for my survival. Thank you to Dr. Wallach who welcomed me early into the community with chocolate and support, and to Dr. Mori who showed me the intricacies of bread kittens and the importance of critique. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................. ii List of Abbreviations ...........................................................................................................v Note on Frequently Cited Works ..................................................................................... viii Abstract ................................................................................................................................x Chapters 1. Introduction: Recalling Only a Little ........................................................................1 Parameters of the Study .......................................................................................2 Epitaphs and Latin Epigraphy ..............................................................................3 Identification of Girls and Young Women ........................................................10 Identification of Victims of Untimely Death .....................................................15 Individuality and the Tensions between Official and Lived Religion ...............16 Continuity and Discontinuity of Ritual Practices ..............................................20 Modern and Ancient Attitudes towards Grief and Mourning ............................24 Individual Girls and Women of the Collection ..................................................26 Dissertation Organization ..................................................................................29 Belonging ...........................................................................................................31 2. Fourteen Verse Epitaphs: Texts, Translations, and Commentary ...........................32 3. Poetic Sense and Sensibility ...................................................................................61 Late Antique Poetics ..........................................................................................62 Themes and genres characteristic of late antique literature ..........................63 Three stylistic characteristics of late antique poetics ....................................68 Variation and Repetition .........................................................................68 Descriptio ................................................................................................73 Intertextual reference and allusion ..........................................................75 Damasus: The bridge between poetics and material culture .........................81 Meter ..................................................................................................................88 Poetic Sensibility ...............................................................................................97 Wordplay: The epitaphs of Acilia Babiana, Pontia, Florentina, and Carice ..................................................................................................97 Descriptio: The epitaph of Evodia ..............................................................101 Intertextuality and Allusion: The epitaphs of Pontia, Theodote, Simplicia, and Arcontia ............................................................................................102 Conclusion: Genre of Verse Epitaphs ..............................................................114 4. Grief and Memory in Verse Epitaphs ...................................................................116 Comfort and Mourning in Consolation Literature ...........................................117 Guidelines to mourning..............................................................................118 Lessening perceived misfortune ................................................................120 Veneration of virtues and memory-making ...............................................122 Conversations with the Dead ...........................................................................124 iv Evodia speaks beyond the grave ................................................................126 Hey, you! Theodote’s speaking stone ........................................................127 Sweet Rhode ..............................................................................................129 Untimely Deaths ..............................................................................................131 Immatura poma in literature .......................................................................132 Mersit acerba dies in literature ...................................................................139 Unripe fruit: meam amice and other young girls ........................................143 The harsh days of Simplicia, Arcontia, and Theodote ................................152 Ashes to Ashes: The Body on Earth After Death ............................................155 The bodily traces of Iuliana’s soul .............................................................156 Ad Astra: The Soul in Heaven .........................................................................165 Starry-eyed poetry: Vergil, Damasus, and Prudentius ...............................166 Seeking the stars: Simplicia, Rhode, and Theodote ...................................172 Reaching the realm of the pious: Evodia and Pontia .................................176 Conclusion: Genre of Consolation Epitaphs ....................................................180 5. Conclusion: Knocking on Heaven’s Door ............................................................182 Appendix A: Images of Inscriptions ................................................................................186 Bibliography ....................................................................................................................188 Vita ...................................................................................................................................203 v LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AE L'Année épigraphique Brepolis Brepolis Publishers, Library of Latin Texts Cross-Database Search tool: http://clt.brepolis.net.proxy.mul.missouri.edu/cds/pages/Sea rch.aspx CIL Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum (1863- ) volumes are often updated through supplements. CLE Carmina Latina Epigraphica. Vols. 1 and 2. Edited by F. Büecheler. Leipzig: B. G. Teubner, 1895-7. Vol. 3. edited by Büecheler and E. Lommatzsch. Leipzig: B. G. Teubner, 1926. de Rossi 1 and 2.1 Inscriptiones christianae urbis Romae septimo saeculo antiquiores. Vol. 1. Edited by G. B. de Rossi, Rome 1857. Vol. 2, part 1. Edited by G. B. de Rossi, Rome 1888. EAGLE Electronic Archive of Greek and Latin Epigraphy http://www.edr-edr.it/index_it.html ED A. Ferrua. Epigrammata damasiana. Vatican City, 1942. EDB Epigraphic Database Bari http://www.edb.uniba.it/ EDCS Epigraphik-Datenbank Clauss/Slaby http://db.edcs.eu.epigr/epi_en.php vi EDH Epigraphische-Datenbank http://www.uniheidelberg.de/institute/sonst/adw/edh EDR Epigraphic Database Roma http://www.edr-edr.it/edr_programmi/res_complex/comune.php?lang=end&ver=simp