Epitaph of Pectorius (complete)
Greek text: Pitra 1852.English: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), public domain (CC0).
Chapter 1
1Pitra 1852 1:557
Ἰχθύος οὐρανίου θεῖον γένος, ἤτορι σεμνῷ χρῆσε, λαβὼν ζωὴν ἄμβροτον ἐν βροτέοις· θεσπεσίων ὑδάτων τὴν σὴν, φίλε, θάλπεο ψυχήν ὕδασιν ἀενάοις πλουτοδότου σοφίης. Σωτῆρος δ᾽ ἁγίων μελιηδέα λάμβανε βρῶσιν· ἔσθιε, πῖν᾽ ἄδην, Ἰχθὺν ἔχων παλάμαις. Ἰχθύι χεύοιτ᾽ ἀρὰ λιλαίω, δέσποτα σῶτερ· Ἵλαος μοι ἡγητήρ, σὲ λιτάζομε, φῶς τὸ θανόντων. Ἀσχανδεῖε πάτερ, τὠμῷ κεχαρισμένε θυμῷ, σὺν μητρὶ γλυκερῇ σύν τ᾽ οἰκείοισιν ἐμοῖσιν, Ἰχθύος εἰρήνῃ μνήσεο Πεκτορίου.
Ichthyos ouraniou theion genos, ētori semnǭ chrēse, labōn zōēn ambroton en broteois; thespesiōn hydatōn tēn sēn, phile, thalpeo psychēn hydasin aenaois ploutodotou sophiēs. Sōtēros d᾽ hagiōn meliēdea lambane brōsin; esthie, pin᾽ adēn, Ichthyn echōn palamais. Ichthui cheuoit᾽ ara lilaiō, despota sōter; Hilaos moi hēgētēr, se litazome, phōs to thanontōn. Aschandeie pater, tōmǭ kecharismene thymǭ, syn mētri glykerę̄ syn t᾽ oikeioisin emoisin, Ichthyos eirēnę̄ mnēseo Pektoriou.
Divine race of the heavenly Fish, keep a holy heart, having received among mortals immortal life from divine waters. Refresh your soul, friend, with the ever-flowing waters of wealth-giving wisdom. Receive the honey-sweet food of the Saviour of the saints; eat, drink your fill, holding the Fish in your hands. With the Fish … I long, Master and Saviour. Be my gracious guide, I pray you, light of the dead. Aschandius, my father, dear to my heart, with my sweet mother and with my kinsfolk, remember Pectorius in the peace of the Fish.
Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.
John 4:14 (echo, low confidence) · John 6:54 (echo, low confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: A Christian epitaph from Autun: the faithful, born anew from divine waters, are urged to receive the Saviour's food, holding the Fish in their hands, and Pectorius asks his dead father to remember him.
- The 'Fish' (ἰχθύς) is Christ: the initial letters of lines 1–5 spell ΙΧΘΥΣ, the acrostic of 'Jesus Christ, Son of God, Saviour'.
- Lines 1–4 speak of baptism (life received 'from divine waters'), lines 5–6 of the Eucharist, received in the hands.
- Line 7 is damaged in the stone; Pitra prints Ἰχθύι χεύοιτ᾽ ἀρὰ λιλαίω, which cannot be construed as it stands, and the gap is marked '…'. Later editors restore 'Feed me, then, with the Fish, I long for it'.
- Line 8: the first word is illegible in the scan and is given as Pitra's Latin reads it ('be my gracious guide'). Other editors read this line as a prayer for the writer's mother ('May my mother rest well, I pray you, light of the dead').
- The father's name is printed Ἀσχανδεῖε; later editors give Ἀσχάνδιε.
- Date and place: found at Autun in Gaul; the inscription is commonly dated to the 3rd or 4th century, the first lines perhaps older (uncertain).
Cite (SBL): Ep. Pect. 1 (Pitra 1852 1:557; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/epitaph-pectorius/1/#p-1). (abbreviation not yet checked)
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek as printed by Pitra, Spicilegium Solesmense 1 (1852); re-read against the Greek.