A Leading Engraver of Inscriptions of the Antonine Period From the Perinthus Region

Öz

This article examines a marble sarcophagus currently preserved in the Tekirdağ Museum, distinguished by its refined Greek inscription and sculptural decoration. Through palaeographic analysis and comparison with other funerary monuments from Perinthus and the wider Macedonian–Thracian region, the study identifies the hand of a leading local engraver active during the Antonine period. The paper argues against earlier datings to the 1st century A.D., proposing instead a more precise attribution to the second quarter of the 2nd century A.D. based on letter forms, orthographic features, and stylistic parallels. Particular attention is given to the unique use of breathings in the inscription—an unprecedented phenomenon in Roman imperial epigraphy—which, along with the depiction of a scroll, suggests the cultural and professional sophistication of Valeria Lucia (Cleopatra), the sarcophagus’s commissioner. Comparative analysis of related sarcophagi allows for a reconstruction of familial ties and workshop practices in Perinthus, shedding light on regional variations in script, artistry, and social representation during the high imperial era.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Perinthus
• Antonine period
• Greek inscriptions
• sarcophagi
• palaeography
• Thrace
• breathings

Kaynakça

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