201. Christian funerary inscription of Esidorus

Description:
Re-used paving-slab (w: 0.58 x h: 0.88) of grey limestone.  
Text:
Inscribed on the surviving face. Part of the top line is now lost, and is here read from an earlier photograph. 
Letters:
0.05-0.07; uncial D twice. 
Date:
Unknown  
Findspot:
Sabratha: Byzantine city-wall to the W of the Forum. Found during trenching, near the site of the modern tunny-factory 
Original Location:
Unknown 
Last recorded location:
Sabratha Museum. 
Bibliography:
R. Bartoccini, 'Le Basiliche cristiane del Foro di Sabratha', 15. 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) 
crux Bo{m}(nae) memo(ria)e
Esidorus bix(i)t
in p(ac)e an<n>os
LXX pl(u)s m(inu)s s(ub) d(ie)
5 XI men(sis) O(cto)b(ris) ind(ictione) IIII
crux BO{M}MEMOE
ESIDORVSBIXT
INPEAN<N>OS
LXXPLSMSSD
5XIMENOBINDIIII
<ab>
<lb n="1" />
<g type="crux" > </g>
<expan>
<abbr>
B
o
<sic >
m
</sic>
</abbr>
<ex>
nae
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
memo
</abbr>
<ex>
ria
</ex>
<abbr>
e
</abbr>
</expan>
<lb n="2" />
Esidorus
<expan>
<abbr>
bix
</abbr>
<ex>
i
</ex>
<abbr>
t
</abbr>
</expan>
<lb n="3" />
in
<expan>
<abbr>
p
</abbr>
<ex>
ac
</ex>
<abbr>
e
</abbr>
</expan>
an
<supplied reason="omitted" >
n
</supplied>
os
<lb n="4" />
<num value="70" >
LXX
</num>
<expan>
<abbr>
pl
</abbr>
<ex>
u
</ex>
<abbr>
s
</abbr>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
m
</abbr>
<ex>
inu
</ex>
<abbr>
s
</abbr>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
s
</abbr>
<ex>
ub
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
d
</abbr>
<ex>
ie
</ex>
</expan>
<lb n="5" />
<num value="11" >
XI
</num>
<expan>
<abbr>
men
</abbr>
<ex>
sis
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
O
</abbr>
<ex>
cto
</ex>
<abbr>
b
</abbr>
<ex>
ris
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
ind
</abbr>
<ex>
ictione
</ex>
</expan>
<num value="4" >
IIII
</num>
</ab>

1, crux BOMMEMOE and small LE under the third M.

Translation:

(cross) Of good memory. Esidorus lived in peace for approximately 70 years (and was laid to rest) on the 11th October in the fourth indiction.

Commentary:

No comment.

Photographs:

Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (Sopr. DS 811 Leica)
 Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (Sopr. DS 811 Leica)
Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (Sopr. B. 569)
 Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (Sopr. B. 569)

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