This white marble epigraph (h:58 cm, w:80 cm, d:11 cm) dedicated to Menecrates of Tralles is located on the second floor of the National Archaeological Museum of Volcei. It was written both in Latin and Ancient Greek in the 1st century BC and was dug up approximately in 1850-1860 by the archaeologist and epigraphist Theodor Mommsen (Garding, 1817 – Charlottenburg, 1903) in Massatevere between Caggiano and Buccino, inside the rural residence of the humanist Crisostomo Colonna (Caggiano, 1460 – Napoli, 1528). It dates back to 130 BC and expresses the most important aspects of Menecrates life which were the wine therapy and his love for Maxuma Sadria.
This is the original text of the Epigraph:
"Lucius Manneius Quinti medicus veivos fecit/φυσει δε Μενεκρατηs Δεμετριου Τραλλιανοs/φυσικοs οινοδωτηs ζϖν εποιεσεν/Maxsuma Sadria Spurii filia/bona, proba, frugei, salve".
Its translation is:
"Menecrates, son of Demetrius, born in Tralles, whose roman name was Lucius Manneius, son of Quintus, was a physician, he treated with wine and made his own sepulchre. To Maxuma Sadria, daughter of Spurius, a virtuous and principled wife".
- Photos and main text by Maria Russo ti.supmacla|ossur.airam#| and Michela Despina Vassiliou ti.supmacla|uoilissav.sdm#| (January 2015)
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Bibliography
- Alessandro Cristofori, Menecrate di tralles un medico greco nella lucania romana, in Giovanna De Sensi Sestito (a cura di), L'arte di Asclepio. Medici e malattie in età antica, Rubettino editore, Soveria Mannelli (Catanzaro) 2008, pp. 71-104.
- Giuseppe Lauriello, Menecrate di Tralles, il medico che curava col vino ed altre memorie, Booksprint, 2014, pp.196;