What does this Greek say?

[The_Scott]

Hello everyone,

To anyone who knows Greek, what does this inscription mean? It is a gravestone for a third-century husband and wife in the Catacomb of Saint Callixtus in Rome.

christusrex.org/www1/vaticano/PC-Mouses.jpg

So far I got “Mouses and the woman live ____ Alpha and Omega.”* However, the center word is escaping me, and I can’t p(name removed by moderator)oint exactly what it says.

*Then again, my speak as much Greek as I speak Arabic…meaning very little. I could be wrong with how to translate this.

Thank you!

 

[Nom_the_Wise]

I’m looking…

That’s not Alpha and Omega.

Once I find my lexicon I’ll be back (unless someone beats me to it).

That might be a reference to “Moses” rather than “mouses” or “mice.”

Zoae is “life” of course. (It’s been a while since I’ve done this…)

 

[Catholic4Christ]

I’m more familiar with Attic and Koine Greek, which this is not, but taking a peek…

μουσης might be the genitive singular for “Muse.” Or perhaps “music.” Not sure what it could modify, so I’m probably missing something here.
Ζων is probably a singular present active participle from the verb “to live.”
εποιησεν is the 3rd person singular aorist active indicative form of the verb “to make, to do.”
Line three looks like two words: ατω and και. ατω looks like it could be the dative form of the adjective meaning “insatiable.” και generally means “and,” but can also mean “also/even.”
τη γυνεκι is probably the dative form of the word for “woman” or “wife,” but I’ve never seen it quite like that. It might be a later form, but in Classical Greek the dative form of “woman” is “γυναικι.”

That’s really all the grammar tips I can do, but I’m not great at all with later-era Greek. Forms can change around as time goes on, things get abbreviated, etc. If I had to make an extremely wild guess, without context or any form of assuredness, I’d guess it says something like, “He made living music for an insatiable one and for the woman.” Probably not even close, oh well.

 

[Catholic4Christ]

Let me correct myself. After actually reading your post (It’s late here… ), I brilliantly found that this is a 3rd century gravestone for the tomb of a man name Mouses and his wife. The grammar is still stumping me a bit, but It definitely isn’t “Muse” or “music.” Whoops.

So maybe: “A living (man) made this for insatiable Mouses and his wife.” I’m thinking that’s closer, but probably still quite wrong.

 

[Nom_the_Wise]

I attempted to cheat.

I put “Μουσης ζωή εποιησεν ατω και τη γυνεκι” into a Greek to English translator, and this is what I got: “Moysis Life built-in epoiisen and gyneki”

I feel confident that Μουσης must be “Moses.”

Catholic4Christ: :bowdown:

 

[The_Scott]

Thanks for your help everyone.

 

[Nom_the_Wise]

Thanks for your help everyone.

Haven’t given up yet.

 

[The_Scott]

Haven’t given up yet.

I appreciate it! This whole scenario has taught me that I really need to learn Greek.

 

[Baelor]

I attempted to cheat.

I put “Μουσης ζωή εποιησεν ατω και τη γυνεκι” into a Greek to English translator, and this is what I got: “Moysis Life built-in epoiisen and gyneki”

I feel confident that Μουσης must be “Moses.”

“zoe” should be “zon.”

Something like "Mouses, living, made [this] for [his] insatiable (?) wife.

Mouses is the subject; it is the nominative case; “guneki” is in the dative case and is therefore an indirect object. “Zon” is from “zao.” The “ato” is difficult because there should be a iota sub-/adscript because it is in the dative case, the the “kai” is also confusing because there is nothing to connect, nor does its adverbial usage make much sense.

 

[Catholic4Christ]

“zoe” should be “zon.”

Something like "Mouses, living, made [this] for [his] insatiable (?) wife.

Mouses is the subject; it is the nominative case; “guneki” is in the dative case and is therefore an indirect object. “Zon” is from “zao.” The “ato” is difficult because there should be a iota sub-/adscript because it is in the dative case, the the “kai” is also confusing because there is nothing to connect, nor does its adverbial usage make much sense.

I like yours. All I’d change is the use of insatiable. I think ατω should be substantive. “Mouses, (while he was) living, made (this, meaning the stone) for the insatiable one and his (Mouses’) wife.”

I asked a professor of mine about ατω (the insatiable one), and he thinks it could refer to Death. I think that kind of makes sense.

 

[Baelor]

I like yours. All I’d change is the use of insatiable. I think ατω should be substantive. “Mouses, (while he was) living, made (this, meaning the stone) for the insatiable one and his (Mouses’) wife.”

I asked a professor of mine about ατω (the insatiable one), and he thinks it could refer to Death. I think that kind of makes sense.

That is more plausible than having it modify “wife,” but one would except a definite article in that case – it is certainly a confusing inscription.

 

[The_Scott]

Thank you for your help everyone! The reason I ask (besides out of honest curiosity) is because I’m presenting on the Catacomb of Saint Callixtus for one of my graduate classes (which has been talking about death and archaeology).

I’m going to show this image as an example of Christ as the Good Shepherd, and why such a depiction would be shown in a Catacomb. In the event that someone asked me “what does that inscription say?” I didn’t want to just reply “I don’t know…”

Thank you everyone!