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Sarcophagus of Laris Pulenas

Sarcophagus of Laris Pulenas
The Sarcophagus of Laris Pulenas, in the Tarquinia National Museum
MaterialLimestone
WritingEtruscan alphabet
Created2nd or 3rd century BCE
DiscoveredTarquinia
Present locationTarquinia National Museum, Tarquinia, Italy
IdentificationCIE n.5430
LanguageEtruscan language
CultureEtruscan

The Sarcophagus of Laris Pulenas, also known as "The Magistrate," dates from the 2nd or 3rd century BCE. It was discovered in Tarquinia in Italy and is now in the Tarquinia National Museum.[1] It features a reclining figure, Laris Pulenas, before whom is a stone carving of a long strip of cloth (volumen), half-unrolled, inscribed with one of the longer continuous inscriptions in Etruscan (Corpus Inscriptionum Etruscarum, n.5430), nearly 60 words, making it of particular linguistic value.[2]

Inscription engraved on a sarcophagus from Tarquinia

The text opens with the name of the deceased, along with that of his father (Larce), and unusually, also those of his grandfather (Larth), his uncle (Velthuru), and his great-grandfather (Pule Laris Creice "the Greek"--possibly Pollus, a Greek seer who lived around 400 BC. and settled in Cerveteri--the Etruscan Cisra).[3] The rest of the text apparently presents the deceased's accomplishments in life, including that he wrote a text on divination (zich nethshrac acas-ce).[4][5] He also served as a priest of Catha and of Pacha (Etruscan Bacchus, at this point in history in the process of merging with Fufluns, the Etruscan Dionysus).[6] Furthermore, he seems to have governed (laucar-ce) the city of Tarquinia (Tarχnalθ spurem) as a creal, apparently some high public office.[7]

1 Lris . Pulenas . Larces . clan . Larthal . papacs
2 Velthurus . nefts . prumpts . Pules . Larisal . Creices
3 anen . zich . nethshrac . acasce . creals . Tarχnalθ . spu
4 rem . lucaircẹ . ipa . ruθcva . Caθas . hermeri . slicaχ̣
eṃ
5 aprinθvale . luθcva . Caθas . Paχanac . alumnaθe . hermu
6 mele . Crapisces . puts . χim . Culsl . Lẹp̣rnal . pσl . varχti . cẹrine . pul
7 alumnaθ . pul . hermu . huzrnatre . pσl . tenịṇ[e -5-] ci .

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Sarcophagus of Laris Pulenas, Known as "The Magistrate" / Sarcophagus with Lars Pulena / 3/4 view of proper left, Head / Hellenistic; Creation date: 3rd century BCE". University of Michigan. 2012-11-25. Retrieved 2023-11-25.
  2. ^ Bonfante, L. (1990) Etruscan U. California Press: Berkely and Los Angeles. p. 28
  3. ^ Bernard, Seth (2023). Historical Culture in Iron Age Italy: Archaeology, History, and the Use of the Past, 900-300 BCE. Oxford University Press. p. 8. ISBN 978-0-19-764746-2.
  4. ^ Roncalli, Francesco (1996-06-01). "Laris Pulenas and Sisyphus: Mortals, Heroes and Demons in the Etruscan Underworld". Etruscan Studies. 3 (1): 45–64. doi:10.1515/etst.1996.3.1.45. ISSN 2163-8217.
  5. ^ Cataldi, Maria (1988). I sarcofagi etruschi delle famiglie Partunu, Camna e Pulena (in Italian). Procom, Roma. OCLC 632955991.
  6. ^ Pavel, D. (2020) "The image of the god Fufluns – Dionysus as reflected on Etruscan mirrors: a Greek or an Etruscan God?". Revista CICSA online, Serie Nouă VI:41-68. p45.https://www.ceeol.com/search/article-detail?id=939803
  7. ^ Pallottino, M. (1975) The Etruscans, Indiana University Press: Bloomington and London. pp. 219, 229

Further reading

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