An ancient Greek will reveals how a father named Epikrates tried to ensure that his young son’s tomb would be cared for “forever.” He dedicated farmland to maintain the burial site, pay for repairs, and support memorial rites, according to a study of an inscription from what is now western Turkey.
The arrangement centered on Diophantos, who died young and was buried in a tomb built within a grove. Epikrates established a permanent endowment, drawing on income from olive groves, a vineyard and fields rather than relying on future relatives to cover the costs.
Historian Murat Tozan of Ege University examined the 116-line inscription in a study published in the journal History Studies. The Greek text is generally dated to the first half of the first century A.D., when the region formed part of the Roman province of Asia.
Epikrates also wanted his instructions carved on stone in a language that passersby could understand.
Ancient Greek will detail a father’s rules for his son’s tomb
Two freedmen, Telesphoros and Eunomos, were assigned to oversee the property and arrange the tomb’s upkeep. Eunomos’ successors were expected to continue the responsibilities, extending the plan beyond the lifetimes of its original caretakers.
The memorial duties included covering the tomb with roses for Rosalia, a Roman festival honoring the dead. Epikrates specified that at least 25 denarii be spent on the flowers. The instructions linked this offering to the religious observances performed in his son’s memory.
The will also restricted the removal of trees from the surrounding grove. Burial rights extended to Epikrates, his wife, his daughter, and his granddaughter. The caretakers and their successors were allowed to place their dead in an underground burial space within the grove.
The inscription closes with a curse against anyone who breaks its rules and records Epikrates’ signature, underscoring his effort to protect the arrangement.
Marble inscription links the family memorial to ancient farms
The marble slab was found near Kırkağaç in Turkey’s Manisa province in 1965, moved to the Manisa Museum in 1966 and first published in 1969. It measures about 8.5 feet tall, with 82 lines on the front and 34 on the back. The surviving text starts mid-sentence, pointing to an earlier stone that has not been found.
Tozan also uses the will to map the area’s ancient communities. He locates Nakrason near today’s Bakır and suggests the village of Tibbai stood at Maltepe, about a mile east.
The properties point to olive, grape, and grain farming, and one site used for making tiles. The will also shows Greek and Roman practices mixing in a family that sought to keep Diophantos’ memory alive.
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