- to compile a list of pieces from the nearby Roman settlement of Carnuntum (available with a German translation here<\/a>),<\/li>
- to write a short article on a Roman clay tile from Vienna with a metrical text on it (to be published in the next issue of Tyche<\/em><\/a>),<\/li>
- to inspect an inscription from nearby Aequinoctium <\/em>\u2013 St. Margarethen am Moos<\/a>, and<\/li>
- to inspect a little sheet of gold leaf with a pierced inscription on it, kept in the Kunsthistorisches Museum<\/a>, reported as of Viennese origin.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure>
\nDr Gonz\u00e1lez Berd\u00fas investigating a gold lamella <\/em>in Vienna’s Kunsthistorisches Museum.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Today, we were fortunate enough to be given access to the storage facilities of the Wien Museum<\/a>, which houses the only monumental verse inscription that has come to light from Roman Vienna \u2013 Vindobona<\/a> \u2013 thus far.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure>
\nProf. Kruschwitz studying a Viennese tombstone in the Wien Museum storage facilities.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
So, what have we got for Vienna (and its immediate vicinity)?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Nothing much in terms of numbers, sadly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
But we are glad to share the texts (and translations) of what we have, including images with kind permission of the relevant institutions (all image rights remain with the right holders).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nA Christian tombstone from Roman Vienna<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/mappola.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Christian-tombstone.jpg\")
Photo: Peter Kruschwitz, February 2020, with kind permission of Wien Museum (all rights reserved).<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n Text<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
– – – – – –
nisinie +++[- – -]+[- – -]
Marcio coni(ugi) san-
te. o(biit) (<\/em>vel \u0398?) o\u1e5b(a) V. n[o]n dig-
na mori s[i] p\u1ecdssi-
nt fata mou[e]\u1e5bi. <\/em>(hedera)
(AE <\/em>1956.9)
<\/p>\n\n\n\nTranslation<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
. . . for [—]nisinia . . .: . . . Marcio had this made for his saintly wife. She died in the fifth hour [i. e. around 9 a.m.].
She had not deserved to die, if (only) the Fates might be moved.<\/p>\n\n\n\nNotes<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
The item, discovered in secondary use in Vienna’s legionary camp, has been dated to the fourth century A. D., and it is commonly regarded as Christian. Both assumptions may be false: the stone may well belong to an earlier date than that, and the Christian connection rests on the indication of the hour of death alone (which is tenuous).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The bit that reads n[o]n dig|na mori s[i] possi|nt fata mou[e]ri<\/em> is essentially a dactylic hexameter (with an irregularity at the beginning).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Earlier scholarship presents the piece with a number of false readings, including the initial name (which has variously been interpreted as Sabina or Sabinia. We are confident, however, that this is incorrect and that the above text is what the stone says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The name of the deceased may have been [Bo]|nisinia<\/em>, or this may have been a variant of the hitherto unexplained name IAIIONISINVS of the (equally Pannonian) stone for Bononius Vitalis<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Excellent images are available from our friends of the Lupa project<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A roof tile from Roman Vienna<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/mappola.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Tegula-Vindobonensis.jpg\")
Photo: Ekkehard Weber (date unknown), with kind permission of Wien Museum (all rights reserved).<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n Text<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Venturam<\/em>
terris<\/em>
ui\u1e0d[- – -]<\/em>
– – – – – –
(AE <\/em>1992.1452 = AE <\/em>2015.1102 )<\/p>\n\n\n\nTranslation<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Behold the (sc. <\/em>tile) that is about to fall to the ground . . .<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Notes<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Just as the previous stone, this item \u2013 fragments of a clay tile, inscribed ante cocturam<\/em>, i. e. before the tile was baked \u2013 was discovered in the context of Vienna’s legionary camp.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It is reasonable to assume that this was a self-referential inscription in which the writer was reflecting, possibly in a humorous manner, on the possibility that this tile was eventually going to fall to the ground: this is a common subject matter (including in references to individuals being killed by falling-down objects from Roman roofs): we will expand on this in a forthcoming article<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The inscription, undated, preserves a dactylic rhythm (which may or may not have amounted to a full hexameter or pentameter at some point).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
. . . and that is it for Vienna! The piece we looked at in the Kunsthistorisches Museum, as far as we know, is from Italy (more on that in an article that we are currently drafting).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n - to write a short article on a Roman clay tile from Vienna with a metrical text on it (to be published in the next issue of Tyche<\/em><\/a>),<\/li>
![\"Image\"](\"https:\/\/pbs.twimg.com\/media\/EQpIT7QWsAAUl0Q?format=jpg&name=4096x4096\")
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/mappola.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/image-3.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/mappola.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/image-4.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n