epitaphion

Epitaphion is a term used in classical and Byzantine studies to denote a tomb inscription or epitaph. Derived from the Greek epitáphion, meaning “upon the tomb,” it refers to the text inscribed on a grave marker or monument that commemorates the deceased.

In form and content, epitaphia typically include the name of the deceased and, when possible, their age, provenance, kinship, and date or circumstances of death. Many inscriptions also feature a brief commendation, prayer, or set phrases that express virtue, piety, or filial affection. The language of epitaphia can be Greek or Latin, depending on the cultural context, and the text may appear in prose or verse, with elegiac couplets being particularly common in Greek and Roman samples.

Epitaphion inscriptions are valuable for epigraphy and social history, offering evidence about family structure, social status, and religious beliefs. They illuminate how communities remembered individuals, negotiated memory, and invoked divine or communal protection for the departed. Surviving examples are found on grave markers and public monuments across the ancient Mediterranean world, with well-preserved specimens from Greek city-states and Roman provinces.

In Christian usage, the term can also appear in reference to commemorative inscriptions on tombs of saints and laypeople. In Eastern Orthodox tradition, the term epitaphios refers to a related, but distinct, ritual object or hymn used in funeral and Holy Week ceremonies; the two terms share root ideas of memorialization but denote different practices. See also epitaph, epigraphy, tombstone, and epitaphios.