RELAłIA PĂRINTE-COPIL ÎN DACIA ROMANĂ
THE PARENT-CHILD RELATIONSHIP IN ROMAN DACIA

Summary/Abstract: The image that appears on some funerary monuments is that of a united family, where the parents are pater and mater familias. The children are generally placed in front of their parents, who seem to protect them. The artist occasionally approximates the age of the children through their height. The one who ordered the monument sometimes wanted to show the image of pupils, and the children were therefore depicted with school objects in their hands (stili). The information offered by the image is completed by the funeral inscription. In all cases this underlines the deep attachment between parents and children. Profound love and care emerge in spite of the stereotypical language of the epitaph. The epithets associated with the deceased are particularly relevant for us, though the text of the inscriptions is quite austere. There is no special rule, as superlatives (“karissimus”, “pientissimus”, “piissimus”, “inocentissimus”, “dulcissimus”) could be used for both parents and children. We cannot say with certainty whether these were real or just standardized formulas. It is just as unsure whether the one who ordered the funeral monument could choose them or not.

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