DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.5009#0397
370 HANDBOOK OF ARCHAEOLOGY.
of the age of the deceased, but of this there are few examples.
Etruscan funereal inscriptions are remarkable for their extreme
simplicity as well as for their briefness. Proper names in the
inscriptions are usually in the nominative case, sometimes in the
genitive, and then they are preceded by the monosyllable MI, I
am, as MI LARTHIAS, sum Larthiaa, I am (the tomb) of Larthia.
If the inscription presents onty the name of the deceased without
his prenomen, this is an indication that the monument is of great
antiquity, if the form of the letters confirm it, or that it is of a
person of very little importance.
Proper names and family names are numerous, and the greater
number have passed to the Romans. They are sometimes abridged,
but have the usual terminations, E for the name of men, A for those
of women; S, at the end of a name, is the genitive termination.
The termination AL was employed as a designation of descent,
frequently of descent from the mother: as CAIXAL, which on a
bilingual inscription of Chinsi is translated by CAINNIA K ATUS.
The termination sa, in the name of women, was used to indicate
the clan into which they have married—LE0j\tESA denotes the
spouse of a Licinius; CLAN, with the inflection eland, means son,
SEC. daughter. Proper names are formed after the general Italian
system. The frequent gentile termination ENAS or ENA, recurs
in the termination E±\TUS, which is of frequent occurrence in Italian
clan names. Thus the Etruscan names Vivenna and Spurinna cor-
respond closely to the Roman Vibius or Vibienus, and Spttrius.
The age of the deceased is sometimes indicated in funereal inscrip-
tions, and the numeral signs are preceded by the words RIL,
AVIL, AVILS, A1VIL, which Lanzi considers as analogous to the
Latin ecvum, from which is derived cevitas in the ancient Latin,
and subsequently oetas. Some translate these two words RIL
AVIL viscit annos. Some words, which seem to have no con-
nection with the names of the deceased, are frequently found
repeated on several inscriptions, such as LEINE, TULAR, or
THILAR. The first is considered to be a kind of acclamation
or wish, analogous to the Latin word lenis and leniter, and cor-
responding with the common Latin formula, SIT TIBI TERRA
LEVIS. The other two words are supposed to be applied to the
urn, or whatever enclosed the ashes of the deceased, the olla or
ollarium of the Romans. Another word, ECASUTHINESL, the
recurrence of which on tombs shows it to be a formula, has given
rise to much conjecture. Professor Migliarini connects it with
analogous Latin formula ecee situs, or Me situs est.
We now give a few of the most celebrated Etruscan funereal
of the age of the deceased, but of this there are few examples.
Etruscan funereal inscriptions are remarkable for their extreme
simplicity as well as for their briefness. Proper names in the
inscriptions are usually in the nominative case, sometimes in the
genitive, and then they are preceded by the monosyllable MI, I
am, as MI LARTHIAS, sum Larthiaa, I am (the tomb) of Larthia.
If the inscription presents onty the name of the deceased without
his prenomen, this is an indication that the monument is of great
antiquity, if the form of the letters confirm it, or that it is of a
person of very little importance.
Proper names and family names are numerous, and the greater
number have passed to the Romans. They are sometimes abridged,
but have the usual terminations, E for the name of men, A for those
of women; S, at the end of a name, is the genitive termination.
The termination AL was employed as a designation of descent,
frequently of descent from the mother: as CAIXAL, which on a
bilingual inscription of Chinsi is translated by CAINNIA K ATUS.
The termination sa, in the name of women, was used to indicate
the clan into which they have married—LE0j\tESA denotes the
spouse of a Licinius; CLAN, with the inflection eland, means son,
SEC. daughter. Proper names are formed after the general Italian
system. The frequent gentile termination ENAS or ENA, recurs
in the termination E±\TUS, which is of frequent occurrence in Italian
clan names. Thus the Etruscan names Vivenna and Spurinna cor-
respond closely to the Roman Vibius or Vibienus, and Spttrius.
The age of the deceased is sometimes indicated in funereal inscrip-
tions, and the numeral signs are preceded by the words RIL,
AVIL, AVILS, A1VIL, which Lanzi considers as analogous to the
Latin ecvum, from which is derived cevitas in the ancient Latin,
and subsequently oetas. Some translate these two words RIL
AVIL viscit annos. Some words, which seem to have no con-
nection with the names of the deceased, are frequently found
repeated on several inscriptions, such as LEINE, TULAR, or
THILAR. The first is considered to be a kind of acclamation
or wish, analogous to the Latin word lenis and leniter, and cor-
responding with the common Latin formula, SIT TIBI TERRA
LEVIS. The other two words are supposed to be applied to the
urn, or whatever enclosed the ashes of the deceased, the olla or
ollarium of the Romans. Another word, ECASUTHINESL, the
recurrence of which on tombs shows it to be a formula, has given
rise to much conjecture. Professor Migliarini connects it with
analogous Latin formula ecee situs, or Me situs est.
We now give a few of the most celebrated Etruscan funereal