Un sasso / che distingua le mie dalle infinite ossa...

Greek funerary inscribed poetry is anonymous and shared by a whole community of language and literature; its variety of themes is impressive; the monumental con-text – including the inscribed object, the layout of the inscribed text, the form of its letters, the lectional signs – vehicles an important part of the message, therefore it should be taken into consideration when we translate this poetry. A few examples are examined. The separation of the inscribed text from its material context took place already in antiquity, when verse inscriptions were transcribed from stone into books and begun to circulate in this form.