PETTORIO

PETTORIO. - A mutilated Greek inscription in 7 fragments discovered on June 24, 1839, in a polyandrium at St-Pierre-l'Estrier near Autun (Saône et Loire).

The inscription is composed of two parts: the first, older part (2nd century), consists of three distichs, which appear to have belonged to a longer poem; because the acrostic

that in the first five verses forms IXØYC, is interrupted in the sixth with the letter E (perhaps EAIIC = hope, according to G. B. De Rossi, in Inscript. Christianae, II, 1, Rome 1888, p. xx ff.); the second part, later, instead has six hexameters of a sepulchral character and ends with the name of the dedicant P. The text PETRA (v.) and immediately publicized for its dogmatic importance; it was the subject of study and various interpretations and restorations; very convincing are the observations of Prof. M. Guarducci, which are taken into account here also in the following translation: «O divine offspring of the heavenly Fish, have a devoted heart. You who received the immortal spring among the mortals of the divine waters, warm, oh dear one, your soul with the eternally flowing waters of wisdom that grants wealth. Take the honey-sweet food of the Savior of the Saints, eat eagerly, holding the Fish in your hands. O my Lord and Savior, food of fishes, may my mother Lilao sleep in peace, I beseech you, light of the dead. O Ascandius, my dear father, with the sweet mother and with the brothers in the peace of Jesus Christ son of God the Savior, remember your P.».