Un distique vénatoire tardo-antique. À propos d'une inscription latine sur une lance d'apparat de la nécropole mérovingienne de Cutry

Abstract

During the excavations carried out in the Merovingian necropolis of Cutry (Meurthe-et-Moselle), the archaeologists brought to light a male burial dating from the second half of the 6th century containing an exceptional object: a prestigious spear, datable – by analogy with some other weapons of the same type – of the 5th century. On its blade there is a Latin inscription which so far has not been deciphered. In my article I propose the following reading of this text: HAEC INT[E]R V[ASTAS] STRINGAT VENABVLA SI[L]VAS QVI GAUDET RABID[IS] OBUIU[S I]RE FERIS “Let draw this spear in vast forests Who enjoys to go against the wild animals”. If we suppose that the distich was not copied from an older spear and it was written specifically for the weapon found in the necropolis of Cutry, we cannot but be struck by its correct versification and the construction of the verses which evokes the poetry of Augustean period. The fine workmanship of the spear points unambiguously towards the Gallo-Roman aristocracy whose literary taste is well-known to us owing to the writings of Ausonius, Rutilius Namatianus and Sidonius Apollinaris. However, a comparison between the distich and their works does not deliver obvious analogies. Therefore, the text restored above appears to be a phenomenon: its writing on a prestigious hunting weapon, its impeccable versification, its light form, its Ovidian construction and, finally, its assonances which evoke the medieval léonins – all this make it an exceptional epigram which enriches our knowledge on late antique poetry.