Pompeii, Tomba nei pressi cabina ENEL. Tomba degli Ancarsuleni.

Tomb of Publius Ancarsulenus Philadelphus and Ancarsulena Eleutheris.

Excavated 1970.

Bibliography

Casale A., Bianco A., Primo contributo alla topografia del suburbio pompeiano: Supplemento al n. 15 di ANTIQUA ottobre-dicembre 1979, 60, p. 40.

Cooley, A. and M.G.L., 2004. Pompeii: A Sourcebook. London: Routledge. G33, p. 148.

Cooley, A. and M.G.L., 2014. Pompeii and Herculaneum: A Sourcebook. London: Routledge, p. 133, E40.

Giordano C. and Casale A., 1990. Iscrizioni Pompeiane Inedite Scoperte tra gli Anni 1954 – 1978: Atti della Accademia Pontanania vol. XXXIX, p. 289, no. 64.

Varone A., 1998. Pompei oltre la vita: Nuove testimonianze dalle necropoli, p. 109.

L'Année épigraphique 1992, p. 93, no. 285.

According to Varone, on the 15th September 1970, during work for the construction of an electricity cabinet at Torre Annunziata, località Croce di Pasella, a small tomb chamber was found.

It was on the road from Pompeii to Oplontis, an important Roman artery documented in the ancient map the Tabula Peutingeriana.

Inside the tomb were white plastered walls, with a niche in the north wall.

In it were found only a few shattered urns containing the ashes of the deceased and a glass balsamario.

Near the monument, a small marble tablet with an inscription recording two people was found.

Casale and Bianco record the find as:

Tomba degli Ancarsuleni, rinvenuta nel 1972 presso la stazione elettrica dell'Enel.

In contrada Torretta De Siena, nel comune di Torre Annunziata, quasi di fronte a via Settetermini.

See Casale A., Bianco A., Primo contributo alla topografia del suburbio pompeiano: Supplemento al n. 15 di ANTIQUA ottobre-dicembre 1979, 60, p. 40.

According to Cooley, an inscribed marble slab, was found c.400 metres from the Villa of Mysteries, on the road from Pompeii to Oplontis, 5 metres below the current ground level.

It belonged to a small funerary chamber. Its lettering suggested that it was of a Republican or early Augustan date.

The post of ‘president of Mercury’ probably alludes to this freedman’s position in the cult of Mercury and Maia. 

See Cooley, A. and M.G.L., 2004. Pompeii: A Sourcebook. London: Routledge. G33, p. 148.

Tomba nei pressi cabina ENEL. Inscribed marble slab found 15th September 1970.

SAP Inventory number 14181.

P ANCARSVLENVS P L

PHILADELPHVS

MAG MERCVRIALIS

ANCARSVLENA P L

ELEVTHERIS L

This expands to

P(ublius) Ancarsulenus P(ubli) L(ibertus)

Philadelphus

Mag(ister) Mercurialis

Ancarsulena P(ubli) L(iberta)

Eleutheris L(iberta)

Cooley translates this as:

Publius Ancarsulenus Philadelphus, freedman of Publius, president of Mercury, Ancarsulena Eleutheris, freedwoman of Publius, freedwoman.       [AE (1992) 285]

See Cooley, A. and M.G.L., 2004. Pompeii: A Sourcebook. London: Routledge. G33, p. 148.

See Cooley, A. and M.G.L., 2014. Pompeii and Herculaneum: A Sourcebook. London: Routledge, E40, p. 133.

Varone gives a more detailed analysis of the inscription, the names, and the possible meanings of magister Mercurialis.

See Varone A., 1998. Pompei oltre la vita: Nuove testimonianze dalle necropoli, p. 109.

Tomba nei pressi cabina ENEL. Description of inscription shown in AE 1992.

This suggests that

« L(iberta eius) répété à la fin pour préciser que Eleutheris est l'affranchie du magister Mercurialis.»

“L(iberta eius) repeated at the end to clarify that Eleutheris is the freedwoman of the magister Mercurialis.”

See L'Année épigraphique 1992, p. 93, no. 285.