Musee de l'Ancien Eveche | Marble Gravestone
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 ... "
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