CCI 502: Epitaphs of the Scipios



    L. Cornelius Scipio Barbatus, consul 298, censor 290

    The first line of Barbatus' epitaph probably predates the rest of the elogium, which seems to have been written sometime after 200 BCE. This part has been argued to be a forgery (cf. Fay, Classical Quarterly XIV, 163 ff.; in rebuttal T. Frank, Class. Quart. XV, 169-171), but at any rate does not display so many archaisms as does the epitaph of Barbatus' son (below). All parts written in Saturnians. [Source: Warmington, ROL.]

    [Click here to see a photo of Barbatus' sarcophagus]

    [L. Corneli]o Cn. f. Scipio

    Cornelius Lucius Scipio Barbatus Gnaivod patre | prognatus forits vir sapiensque quoius forma virtutei parisuma | fuit consol censor aidilis quei fuit apud vos Taurasia Cisauna | Samnio cepit Subigit omne Loucanam opsidesque abdoucit.

    		 Lucius Cornelius Scipio, son of Gnaeus

    Lucius Cornelius Scipio Long-beard, Gnaeus' begotten son, a brave man and wise, whose appearance perfectly matched his bravery, he was aedile, consul, and censor among you; he took Taurasia and Cisauna in Samnium; he overcame all the Lucanian land and brought hostages back.



    L. Cornelius Scipio, son of Barbatus, consul in 259, censor in 258.

    Here again, the first part of the epitaph seems to have been written before the second (note the different spellings for censor and consul). The second half was probably written about 200 BCE, and was found not on the tomb (as the first part was) but on a separate stone tablet in the sepulchre. Again, all parts are written in Saturnians. [Source: Warmington, ROL.]

    [Click here to see a photograph of this inscription]

    [L.] Cornelio L. f. Scipio
    [a]idiles cosol cesor

    Honc oino ploirume cosentiont
    R[omai] | duonoro optumo fuise viro | Luciom Scipione Filios Barbati | consol censor aidilis hic fuet a[pud vos] | hec cepit Corsica Aleriaque urbe | dedet Tempestatebus aide mereto[d]

    		 L. Cornelius Scipio, son of Lucius
    aedile, consul, censor

    This one, Lucius Scipio, most agree was the best man at Rome. Son of Barbatus, he was consul, censor, aedile among you; he captured Corsica and the city of Aleria, he gave deservedly to the Weather goddess a temple.