Pompeii : its life and art / tr. into English by Francis W. Kelsey ... with numerous illustrations from original drawings and photographs.

  • August Mau
Date:
1902
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Pompeii : its life and art / tr. into English by Francis W. Kelsey ... with numerous illustrations from original drawings and photographs. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    583/644 (page 507)
    In these inscriptions upon jars of various sizes the name of the proprietor is sometimes given, in the genitive case, as M. Caesi Celeris, — ‘Of M. Caesius Celer.’ The name of the man to whom the consignment is made is put in the dative, as Albii- cio Celso. The name of the consignor sometimes follows that of the consignee, as liquanien optimum A. Virnio Modesto ab Aga- t/iopode, — ‘Best liquamen, for Aldus Virnius Modestus, from Agathopus.’ An inscription similar to that just mentioned, on an amphora found in the house of Caecilius Jucundus, illustrates the extent to which family pride might assert itself in the naming of chil- dren : Caecilio lucundo ab Sexsto Metello^ — ‘To Caecilius Jucun- dus from Sextus Metellus.’ The sender and the recipient were both sons of Lucius Caecilius Jucundus. According to common usage, one of the sons would have received the name Lucius Caecilius Jucundus, after the father; while the other would have been called Lucius Caecilius, with a cognomen derived perhaps from the name of the mother. But the prosperous Pompeian wished to suggest a relationship with the distinguished family of the Caecilii Metelli, so he named one son Sextus Caecilius Jucundus Metellus, and the other Quintus Caecilius Jucundus, the name Quintus being common in the family of the Caecilii Metelli. The names of the two sons are found together in an election notice : Q. S. Caecili luciindi^ — ‘ Quintus and Sextus Caecilius Jucundus.’ Besides the names of the makers, inscriptions relating to weight and ownership are found on the cups and other objects of the Boscoreale treasure. Thus on the under side of the Alexandria patera (Fig. 187, and p. 380) we find the following record, the letters of which are outlined with points: Phi\ala'] et emb{_lema'\ p{endentui\ p\_ondo libras'] I I, 2incias X, sauipiila VI. Phi{ala] p\endens] p[ondo libras] //, Jincias II, semunciam; emb {^lema] p {^endens] p \ondo] nncias VII, sem unciam, ‘The bowl and the relief medallion’ together ‘weigh 2 pounds, 10 ounces, and 6 scruples. The bowl weighs 2 pounds, 2\ ounces; the relief medallion weighs ounces.’ In giving the items separately no account was taken of the