The present paper is focused on the inscription ICURV 13800 founded in the area near St.Sebastian basilica in Rome. It is the epitaph of a Christian physician who died between the fourth and fifth century AD. After a brief summary of the archeological context, the adjectives and the expressions that the physician chose to represent himself are analysed. This inscription is important for scholars of roman social history because the social identity of the physician is almost completely defined by his job, a rare case in roman epigraphy. He tried to represent himself as the ideal physician, taking into account the common opinions of the ancient world about healers and medicine. This work attempts to define the physician’s sociale status, evaluating the prices of the sepulchres in areas like St. Sebastian, the number of funeral inscriptions in these areas and the economic conditions of physicians in Late antiquity, assessing that he belonged to the well off “middle class”of his time. His purpose was to achieve social distinction and to adapt himself to an aristocratic way of life, expecially after his death; he tried to obtain them through his epitafh and the area where he was buried. Infact more than twenty inscriptions of men and women of the roman aristocracy can be found there.
G. Cefalo, A. Pinta, La rappresentazione del sé e la ricerca del prestigio sociale attraverso il ricordo della professione e la sepoltura ad sanctos. Commento a ICUR V 13800
Generoso Cefalo
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2017-01-01
Abstract
The present paper is focused on the inscription ICURV 13800 founded in the area near St.Sebastian basilica in Rome. It is the epitaph of a Christian physician who died between the fourth and fifth century AD. After a brief summary of the archeological context, the adjectives and the expressions that the physician chose to represent himself are analysed. This inscription is important for scholars of roman social history because the social identity of the physician is almost completely defined by his job, a rare case in roman epigraphy. He tried to represent himself as the ideal physician, taking into account the common opinions of the ancient world about healers and medicine. This work attempts to define the physician’s sociale status, evaluating the prices of the sepulchres in areas like St. Sebastian, the number of funeral inscriptions in these areas and the economic conditions of physicians in Late antiquity, assessing that he belonged to the well off “middle class”of his time. His purpose was to achieve social distinction and to adapt himself to an aristocratic way of life, expecially after his death; he tried to obtain them through his epitafh and the area where he was buried. Infact more than twenty inscriptions of men and women of the roman aristocracy can be found there.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
