Leggere le iscrizioni funerarie alla luce del diritto sepolcrale romano: l'epitaffio catanese di Iulia Florentina
In: Minima Epigraphica et Papyrologica: 25, 2020
DOI: 10.48255/MinEpig202025008
The Author examines the Constantinian epitaph of the little girl Iulia Florentina, who died in Ibla and was buried 10 days later in Catania. According to the current interpretation, the 10 days between death and burial elapsed for the transport from the first to the second city. But the time frame is too long for the journey and too long for a body to remain unburied and exposed to decay. Therefore, the Author proposes a second possibility that is completely antithetical to that of transporting the body from one city to another, and conjectures that – although there are no clues to this effect that can be derived from the epitaph – a burial had been made first temporary in the city of Ibla, where his death had occurred, and then, following a transfer which took place ten days after his death, to the final burial in another city (Catania). The confirmation of this supposition comes from the detailed examination of the discipline provided by the Roman sepulchral law in such cases: Paul. Sent. 1.21.1, 2, 3 e 4; CTh. 9.17.5.1 e 7; CI.1.2.3 ; CI. 3.44.1,10
e 12; D. 11.7.38,39 e 40; D. 47.12.3.4. This also allows us to explain the unusual dating contained in the epigraph with the position of Corrector of the province of Sicily by a certain Zoilos, as an authorization from the local authority was required for the transfer of the bodies.
Keywords: Catania, Corrector Siciliae, Iulia Florentina, Roman sepulchral law, Zoilos