Grave of W. B. Yeats; Drumecliff, Co. Sligo

An epitaph (in Greek, ἐπιτάφιος — literally "on the gravestone") is a short text honoring a deceased person, strictly speaking that inscribed on their tombstone or plaque, but also used figuratively. The Ancient Greek language is the historical stage in the development of the Hellenic language family spanning the Archaic (c Some are specified by the dead person beforehand, others chosen by those responsible for the burial. An epitaph may be in verse; poets have been known to compose their own epitaphs prior to their death, as W.B. Yeats did. POETS day is a term used by workers in England and Australia, to jocularly refer to Friday as the last day of the Work week.

Most epitaphs are brief records of the family, and perhaps the career, of the deceased, often with an expression of love or respect - "beloved father of . . . " - but others are more ambitious. From the Renaissance to the 19th century in Western culture, epitaphs for notable people became increasingly lengthy and pompous descriptions of their family origins, career, virtues and immediate family, often in Latin. However, the Laudatio Turiae, the longest known Ancient Roman epitaph exceeds almost all of these at 180 lines; it celebrates the virtues of a wife, probably of a consul. Laudatio Turiae ("In praise of Turia" is a tombstone engraved with a carved Epitaph that is a husband's eulogy of his wife Ancient Rome was a Civilization that grew out of a small agricultural community founded on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 10th century BC Consul (abbrev cos; Latin plural consules) was the highest elected office of the Roman Republic and an appointive office under the Empire

Some are quotes from holy texts, or aphorisms. An approach of many successful epitaphs is to 'speak' to the reader and warn them about their own mortality. A wry trick of others is to request the reader to get off their resting place, as often it would require the reader to stand on the ground above the coffin to read the inscription. Some record achievements, (e. g. past politicians note the years of their terms of office) but nearly all (excepting those including the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, where this is impossible) note name, year or date of birth and date of death. Throughout history many Soldiers have died in wars without their remains being identified Many list family and their relation to them; such as Father / Mother / Son / Daughter etc of.

Notable epitaphs

Lengthy epitaph in Latin for a German pastor, died 1728, concluding with a short Biblical quotation

The epitaph on voice actor Mel Blanc's tombstone

Go tell the Spartans, stranger passing by
that here, obedient to their law, we lie. Melvin "Mel" Jerome Blanc ( May 30, 1908 – July 10, 1989) was an American voice actor and Comedian

— Simonides's epigram at Thermopylae

I am ready to meet my Maker. An epigram is a short Poem, often with a clever twist at the end or a concise and witty statement In the Battle of Thermopylae, which occurred in August 480 BC (and was detailed almost entirely by Herodotus) an alliance of Greek City-states fought
Whether my Maker is prepared for the great ordeal of meeting me is another matter.

— Winston Churchill^[1]

To save your world you asked this man to die:
Would this man, could he see you now, ask why?

— Epitaph for the Unknown Soldier, written by W H Auden^[2]

AGAINST YOU I WILL FLING MYSELF,
UNVANQUISHED AND UNYIELDING, O DEATH!

— Virginia Woolf ^[3]

References

See also

• Funeral oration (ancient Greece) ("epitaphios logos")
• Chronogram
• Epigraph
• Hero stone

External links

• What is the Kohima Epitaph?
• Kohima Epitaph