# Epigraphy: FLAVIA MAMILIA



## gorginus

Hello

In fact I am stuying roman religon and more precisely vestales.

I would like to transform this inscription in latin text and then try to traduce it. It seems very hard, so I really need your help!

The inscription: CIL VI, 2132

FLAVIA MAMILIA

FL.MAMILIAE/ V.V.MAX/
CVIVS.EGREGIAM.SANCTI/MONIAM.ET
VENERABILEM/MORVM.DISCIPLINAM.IN/
DEOS.QVOQVE.PERVIGILEM/
ADMINISTRATIONEM.SENATVS/
LAVDANDO.COMPROVABIT/AEMILIVS
RVFINVS.FRATER/ET.FLAVII.SILVINVS.ET.IRE/
NEVS.SORORIS.FILIL.A MILITIS/OB
EXIMIAM.EIVS.ERGA.SE/
PIETATEM.PRAESTANTIAMQVE

Lado derecho:
COLLOCATA.XII.KAL.APRIL/
C.VETTIO.ATTICO.ET/
C.ASINIO.PRAETEXTATO.COS


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## wonderment

Hello gorginus,

I’m not an epigrapher, but I can try to help. First though, could you provide more context for what looks like a dedicatory inscription, and tell us what you’ve been able to make of the Latin so far? Also, I’d like to check on the spelling of some words: MONIAM (??), COMPROVABIT (and not comprobavit?), and FILIL (and not filii?). 

The first line: FL.MAMILIAE/ V.V.MAX/ = FL(aviae) MAMILIAE V(irgini) V(estali) MAX(imae).


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## PaGeMoRe

I think COMPROVABIT it's future tense (3d person singular) from COMPROVO-AS-AVI-ATUM-ARE,but i have to check it.
MONIAM sounds like MONEO-ES-UI-ITUM-ERE,1st person subjunctive,but i'm not sure.


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## gorginus

Thank you very much for your help!


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## PaGeMoRe

de rien..
sorry for my french..


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## gorginus

Your french is perfect


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## Probo

gorginus said:


> Hello
> 
> In fact I am stuying roman religon and more precisely vestales.
> 
> I would like to transform this inscription in latin text and then try to traduce it. It seems very hard, so I really need your help!
> 
> The inscription: CIL VI, 2132
> 
> FLAVIA MAMILIA
> 
> FL.MAMILIAE/ V.V.MAX/
> CVIVS.EGREGIAM.SANCTI/MONIAM.ET
> VENERABILEM/MORVM.DISCIPLINAM.IN/
> DEOS.QVOQVE.PERVIGILEM/
> ADMINISTRATIONEM.SENATVS/
> LAVDANDO.COMPROVABIT/AEMILIVS
> RVFINVS.FRATER/ET.FLAVII.SILVINVS.ET.IRE/
> NEVS.SORORIS.FILIL.A MILITIS/OB
> EXIMIAM.EIVS.ERGA.SE/
> PIETATEM.PRAESTANTIAMQVE
> 
> Lado derecho:
> COLLOCATA.XII.KAL.APRIL/
> C.VETTIO.ATTICO.ET/
> C.ASINIO.PRAETEXTATO.COS


 

DÉDIÉ A FLAVIA MAMILIA VIÈRGE VESTALE MAXIME
DONT LA PURÉTÉ UNIQUE ET LA DROITURE ADMIRABLE DE SA FAÇON DE FAIRE VERS 
LES DIEUX ET DONT L'ADMINISTRATION 
INFATIGABLE LE SÉNAT 
A CERTIFIÉES AVEC DES LOUANGES. AEMILIUS 
RUFINUS, SON FRÈRE, ET IRENEUS 
[...] À CAUSE DE SA PIÉTÉ ET GRANDEUR D'ESPRIT VERS EUX.

CÔTÉ DROIT
MISE EN PLACE LE 21 MARS 
DE L'ANNÉE OÙ LES CONSULES ÉTAIENT
CAIUS VETTIUS ATTICUS ET
CAIUS ASSINIUS PRAETESTATUS.

Mon latin était mieux il y a quelques années. J'espère que les autres puissent nous aider. Mon français n'a jamais été très bon. J'espère que tu saches me pardonner. Cura ut ualeas.


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## wonderment

For dear Probo, with all apologies...

Thank you for showing me that MONIAM is not a typo but part of SANCTIMONIAM.  It is much as you’ve already translated, so I’ll just re-translate to English and fill in what seems to me to be the missing part [...]:

(Dedicated) to Flavia Mamalia, Vestal Virgin Maxima
whose exceptional purity and 
venerable knowledge of the conduct towards the gods
and whose ever watchful tendance (of the gods)
the senate has acknowledged by acclamation.

Aemilius Rufinus, her brother, and Silvinus and Ireneus, 
the sons (?) of her sister and Flavius (?). By these _milites_ (? Under the emperors, court-officials?) 
on account of her exceptional devotion to them and her excellence, 

(this statue? plaque?) has been set up 12 days before the Kalends of April
in the consulship of Gaius Vettius Atticus and Gaius Assinius Praetextatus. 
---

It’s so cliché, but meant with all sincerity: Feliz navidad, prospero año nuevo y felicidad.


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## Probo

wonderment said:


> For dear Probo, with all apologies...
> 
> Thank you for showing me that MONIAM is not a typo but part of SANCTIMONIAM. It is much as you’ve already translated, so I’ll just re-translate to English and fill in what seems to me to be the missing part [...]:
> 
> (Dedicated) to Flavia Mamalia, Vestal Virgin Maxima
> whose exceptional purity and
> venerable knowledge of the conduct towards the gods
> and whose ever watchful tendance (of the gods)
> the senate has acknowledged by acclamation.
> 
> Aemilius Rufinus, her brother, and Silvinus and Ireneus,
> the sons (?) of her sister and Flavius (?). By these _milites_ (? Under the emperors, court-officials?)
> on account of her exceptional devotion to them and her excellence,
> 
> (this statue? plaque?) has been set up 12 days before the Kalends of April
> in the consulship of Gaius Vettius Atticus and Gaius Assinius Praetextatus.
> ---
> 
> It’s so cliché, but meant with all sincerity: Feliz navidad, prospero año nuevo y felicidad.


 
Thank you, Wonderment for your additions, your traslation and, as well, for your kind words. Gratias tibi ago et salutem plurimam omnibus do. Vt ualeatis.


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## brian

Hello everyone,

A couple things. "Comprovabit" should definitely be "*comprobavit*" (from "comprobare," since "comprovare" does not exist). It means the senate has "acknowledged, confirmed, made good, established, etc."

"Filil" should be "*Filii*." So "et Flavi*i* Silvinus et Ireneus sororis fili*i*" all together means "and the Flavian sons of (her) sister, Silvinus and Ireneus, ..." I assume we are talking about Mamilia's sister's sons (i.e. her nephews), and not Aemilius Rufinus' sister's (i.e. Mamilia's) sons, since Mamilia is a Vestal Virgin. 

Finally, "a militis" looks really weird. It must be ablative because of "a," but if it it is "miles, militis" the form should be "*militibus*" ("soldiers," etc.); and if it is "militia, -ae" ("civil service, court employment, profession, duty, ...") the form should be "*militiis*." In any case, I think it is more "militia" than anything, and perhaps the extra "i" dropped, and all together means, "on account of (both) her extraordinary loyalty to them and her superiority in her profession."


brian


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## wonderment

Hi Brian,



brian8733 said:


> A couple things. "Comprovabit" should definitely be "*comprobavit*" (from "comprobare," since "comprovare" does not exist). It means the senate has "acknowledged, confirmed, made good, established, etc."
> 
> "Filil" should be "*Filii*." So "et Flavi*i* Silvinus et Ireneus sororis fili*i*" all together means "and the Flavian sons of (her) sister, Silvinus and Ireneus, ..." I assume we are talking about Mamilia's sister's sons (i.e. her nephews), and not Aemilius Rufinus' sister's (i.e. Mamilia's) sons, since Mamilia is a Vestal Virgin.



I guess we'll never know if COMPROVABIT and FILIL are mistakes of transcription by gorginus or mistakes of inscription by the stonecutter. In any case, one has to assume they are spelling errors to make any sense of the text. About FLAVII, I just looked up Roman nomenclature again. It should read "the Flavii, Silvinus and Ireneus, the sons of her sister" (i.e. Flavius Silvinus and Flavius Ireneus, with Flavius being their shared _nomen_ or last name, and Silvinus and Ireneus, their _praenomen_ or first names). 



> Finally, "a militis" looks really weird. It must be ablative because of "a," but if it it is "miles, militis" the form should be "*militibus*" ("soldiers," etc.); and if it is "militia, -ae" ("civil service, court employment, profession, duty, ...") the form should be "*militiis*." In any case, I think it is more "militia" than anything, and perhaps the extra "i" dropped, and all together means, "on account of (both) her extraordinary loyalty to them and her superiority in her profession."



You're right, it has to be _militia_ and not _miles_, in any case, some sort of civil service position. On the translation of _praestantiam_, "superiority" yes, but I would hesitate to qualify that with "in her profession" because it implies accepting money for work performed (like having a job, working to make a living), a no-no for the aristocracy. I think _praestantiam_ just denotes general excellence for her probity.

------
Edit _add_: Brian, I think I misunderstood you earlier. By "...her superiority in her profession" do you mean to take _praestantiam_ with _a militis_? I don't think that would work in terms of sense or syntax.


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## wonderment

gorginus said:


> The inscription: CIL VI, 2132
> 
> FL.MAMILIAE/ V.V.MAX/
> CVIVS.EGREGIAM.SANCTI/MONIAM.ET
> VENERABILEM/MORVM.DISCIPLINAM.IN/
> DEOS.QVOQVE.PERVIGILEM/
> ADMINISTRATIONEM.SENATVS/
> LAVDANDO.COMPROVABIT/AEMILIVS
> RVFINVS.FRATER/ET.FLAVII.SILVINVS.ET.IRE/
> NEVS.SORORIS.FILIL.A MILITIS/OB
> EXIMIAM.EIVS.ERGA.SE/
> PIETATEM.PRAESTANTIAMQVE
> 
> Lado derecho:
> COLLOCATA.XII.KAL.APRIL/
> C.VETTIO.ATTICO.ET/
> C.ASINIO.PRAETEXTATO.COS



Hi again,

Okay, here's my last go at this inscription:

For Flavia Mamalia, Vestal Virgin Maxima
whose exceptional purity and 
venerable knowledge of the conduct towards the gods
and whose ever watchful tendance [of the gods]
the senate has acknowledged by acclamation

Aemilius Rufinus, her brother, and the Flavii, Silvinus and Ireneus, 
the sons of her sister, from the _militiae_ [i.e. offices in the imperial court]
on account of her extraordinary devotion to them and her excellence

[We need to supply a verb like _dedicaverunt_ (dedicated) this for...Flavia Mamilia etc...]

Right side:
[This statue/inscription] was set up 12 days before the Kalends of April
in the consulship of Gaius Vettius Atticus and Gaius Assinius Praetextatus.


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