Musee de l'Ancien Eveche | Marble Gravestone

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This remarkable little gravestone caught my eye. It was discovered in Drabuyard, Varces, to the south of Grenoble and dates to the 6th century. The upper portion is decorated with a variety of incised cross-forms (one of which bears more resemblance to a snowflake, but you can't have everything) and a little bird. If my guess is correct, the tuft on top of the bird’s head may be enough to identify it as a peacock. Although modern readers will often consider the peacock as an emblem of pride (“Proud as a peacock” and all that), the ancient Greeks believed that its flesh did not decay after death. In this way, it became a symbol of immortality and was adopted by early Christianity. Although fragmentary, the Latin inscription survives sufficiently well to be recorded and translated:

[IN H]OCTUMU[LO M]ESERECOR[DIA]
[CH]RISTI RE
[QUIESC] ET IN
[PACE BON]
[MEMORIAE]


In this tomb by the mercy of Christ, rest in peace, of good memory ... "
Location: Grenoble, France

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