E07505: Latin verse inscription praising *Felicitas and her seven sons (martyrs of Rome, S00525). Once ascribed to Pope Damasus, but much more probably composed to celebrate the restoration of the basilica and tomb of Felicitas by Pope Boniface I (418-422), in a style imitating the Damasan verse. Now lost, but probably displayed in the surface basilica at the Cemetery of Felicitas/Cemetery of Maximus on the Via Salaria, Rome. [provisional entry]

Intonuit metuenda dies, surrexit in hostem,
       impia tela mali vincere cum properat.
(3) Carnificis superare vias tunc mille nocendi
       sola fides potuit quam regit Omnipotens.
     Corporeis resoluta malis, duce praedita Christo,
(6)   aetheris alma parens atria celsa petit.
     Insontes pueros sequitur per amoena virecta,
       tempora victricis florea sera ligant.
(9) Purpuream rapiunt animam caelestia regna,
       sanguine lota suo membra tegit tumulus.
     Si titulum quaeris, meritum de nomine signat,
(12)  ne opprimeris [- - -] fuit ista mihi

1. veneranda dies Cent. || 4. quem Vird. || 5. om. Cent. || 6. aetheriis Vird. || partens Laur. || 8. tempore Cent. Laur. || seria Vird. || 9. purpuriam Cent. || purpoream Laur. || quoq. recipiant Vird. instead of rapiunt || 10. tenet Vird. instead of tegit - favoured by Ferrua || 11. si tumulum Vird. - favoured by Ferrua, situmulum Cent. || 12. om. Cent., Laur.

Note: The apparatus does not include many corrupted forms of the codex Petropolitanus. The translation by Michael Lapidge, which we reproduce here, has verse 12 in the following form: ne opprimerer [vitiis dux] fuit ista mihi (with opprimerer taken from de Rossi's edition, contra Ferrua, and vitiis dux supplemented by Lapidge). Other attempts to restore this verse include: ne opprimer[er bello dux] (de Rossi), ne opprimer[er tenebris lux] (Doulcet), ne opprimer[er poenis spes] fuit (Garrucci), and, more aggressively: signat | neo pari matris, [dux] fuit (Bücheler in Ihm's edition). We also think, unlike Lapidge, that the phrase meritum de nomine signat in verse 11 refers to the titulus, not Felicitas, and should rather be understood 'it reveals her distinction in her name'.

'The fearful day arrived; she arose against the Enemy.
When she hastened to conquer the wicked weapons of evil,
her faith alone, which the Almighty directs, was able
to overcome the executioner’s thousand ways of inflicting injury.
Freed from bodily evils, endowed with Christ as her guide,
the kindly parent seeks the lofty halls of heaven.
She follows her guiltless sons through lovely meadows:
a garland of flowers binds the temples of this conquering woman.
The heavenly kingdom receives her bloodied soul;
this tomb covers her limbs, drenched with her own gore.
If you seek a label, she reveals her distinction in her name:
so I wouldn’t be overwhelmed , this (woman) was my .'

Text: ICVR, n.s., VIII, no. 23394 = EDB19972. Transl. Michael Lapidge.