Die Wieblinger Senecio-Stele aus dem Neckar bei Heidelberg

Abstract

An old find (1965) of a fragment of an epitaph for a citizen of the neighbouring civitas Nemetum dating to the 2^nd/early 3^rd century remained unpublished and looked at first perfectly »unsuspicious« within the series of well-known large scale tombstones from the Heidelberg cemeteries – especially from Heidelberg Bergheim and from the road of tombs towards Ladenburg. However, a closer look at the relatively simple and commonly composed inscription revealed a remarkable concentration of characteristics and singularities: While the name of the deceased Senecio (or Senecius?, this cannot be decided with certainty) (l. 2) was most frequently used in Germania Superior, the name of his wife Siora (l. 5) occurred in Germania exclusively in Heidelberg. Also the term commemoria (l. 4) is with the exception of a case in Rome found solely in Heidelberg and the expression p(ientissimo) coniugi c(uravit) (l. 5/6) is without comparison and unique in its form.