Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus (priest) - Epitaph

Epitaph

Fragments of his sarcophagus were discovered in the Tomb of the Scipios and are now in a wall of the Vatican Museums. Only the broken frontal plate survives, preserving the epitaph, written in Old Latin Saturnian meter:

QVEI·APICEINSIGNE·DIALAMINIS·GESISTEI
MORS·PERFETVA·VT·ESSENT·OMNIA
BREVIA·HONOS·FAMA·VIRTVS·QVE
GLORIA·ATQVE·INGENIVM·QVIBVSSEI
IN·LONGA·LICVSET·TIBEVTIER·VITA
FACILE·FACTEISVPERASES·GLORIAM
MAIORVM·QVA·RE·LVBENS·TE·INGREMIV
SCIPIO·RECIPT·TERRA·PVBLI
PROGNATVM·PVBLIO·CORNELI

The break obscures a few letters, marked by the brackets. The epitaph has been stated in modern upper- and lower-case script with the missing letters restored as:

quei apice insigne Dialaminis gesistei |
Mors perfe tua ut essent omnia | breuia
honos fama uirtusque | gloria atque ingenium
quibus sei | in longa licuset tibe utier uita |
facile facteis superases gloriam | maiorum.
qua re lubens te in gremiu | Scipio recipt
terra Publi | prognatum Publio Corneli.

and also transcribed in classical Latin verse as:

...qui apicem insigne
Dialis flaminis gessisti, mors perfecit,
Tua ut essent omnia brevia, honos, fama,
Virtusque gloria atque ingenium quibus si
In longa licuisset tibi utier vita,
Facile superasses gloriam maiorum
Quare lubens te in gremium Scipio recepit
Terra Publi prognatum Publio Corneli

translated as:

For you who wore the distinctive cap of a Flamen Dialis, death cut everything short – honour, fame and virtue, glory and intellectual ability. If you had been granted a long life in which to use these advantages, you would have far surpassed the glory of your ancestors by your achievements. Therefore Earth gladly takes you in her arms, Scipio – Publius Cornelius, son of Publius.

This inscription is number three of the so called elogia Scipionum, the several epitaphs surviving from the tomb.

Read more about this topic:  Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus (priest)

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