Ficolos Feced Med

Abstract

This paper deals with an inscription discovered in 2013 on the northeastern slopes of the Palatine Hill reading "S. (= name) ficolos made me". Starting from an analysis of its structure and the probable reasons behind its composition, this paper focuses on an investigation of the term ficolos from a semantic and cultural perspective. The presence of two terms – figulus and fictor – derived from the IE root ‘to form, fashion’ lends itself to the analysis of the derivative suffixes. Another interesting aspect is suggested by the clues emerging from the available sources: while the two terms are related in terms of meaning, they diverge on the pragmatic level. Ficolos suggests the priority of the technique in terms of production capacity; fictor refers instead to the practical uses of the technique and the products involved in sacrifices.