Pagan and Christian Inscriptions in the Church of S. Maria in Trastevere

Santa Maria in Trastevere , as many of the older churches in Rome has a lapidary collection by the entrance: the mix of stone you see above is very typical. We can recognize on the far left the center of the front of a Roman strigil sarcophagus, bits of mostly Late Antique tombstones on either side of Pope Clement XI's framed commemorative plaque, part of a monumental inscription from the Macellum Liviae below that, with a long piece of architectural ornament from something equally large, and at the bottom the characteristic knotwork of the high Middle Ages. Most of these fragments of stone were taken up from the floor inside the church in the late 19c: the older paleochristian inscriptions, however, originally come from various catacombs outside the City, and were brought to that floor in the Renaissance.

Please note at the upper left corner, a video camera to keep us behaving properly:

Here are a pair of inscriptions from one of the other walls. Once you turn that Latin into English, there's always a story:

The tombstone of Brumasia, a Christian couple's baby girl.

Transcribed, expanded, and spelling standardized to classical Latin:
1 - BRVMASIAE FILIaE DVLCISSIMaE BENEME
2 - RENTI QVaE VIXIT ANNo I MeNsibus VIIII IN PACE

Translated:
To Brumasia, sweetest daughter, well-deserving
(of this inscription), who lived 1 year 9 months. (She is) at peace.

The dove and the phrase IN PACE mark this as a Christian epitaph, and considering infant mortality rates in the ancient world, the inscription is a beautiful and expensive one. Little Brumasia's parents must have loved her very much; unlike most Roman parents, they don't so much as mention themselves on her stone, but give her a good burial and know that she is at peace.

What a world of difference with another tombstone just a few feet away in this same church narthex!

The pagan tombstone of Aulus Larcius, a minor functionary who seems to have had it rough in life.

Transcribed and expanded:

Dis ❦ Manibus · Aulus · LARCIVS
ADIVTOR · FECIT
MONVMENTVM
SIBI · ET · SVIS · LIBE
RTIS · LIBERTABVS ·
QVE · POSTERISQVE
EORVM · HOC · Monumentum
VETO · VENIRI · VETO
DONARI ❦

Translated:

To the Shades of the Dead. Aulus Larcius,
adiutor, made (this)
monument
for himself and for his fre
edmen and freedwomen
and their descendants.
I forbid that this monument
be sold; I forbid it
be given away.

As not uncommonly even in our own world, the deceased tried to make sure what he wanted would be done. He erected his own stone while he was alive, and he forbade its sale or disposal by gift: VETO, VETO.

In fact, this is merely an emphatic and personal version of a formula often seen on Roman tombstones: hoc monumentum heredes non sequitur — "This monument does not go to the heirs." Good stone after all is a valuable commodity.

The key to this rather sad inscription may lie in the word adiutor: the word (literally, a helper) may mean many things, and here we have no context; but Aulus was some kind of secretary, administrative or military aide, bailiff, temple assistant, or possibly even a supporting actor. Always following someone else's orders, here at last he can dispose and forbid: VETO, VETO.