EPITAPH (from επι, upon, and ταφος, sepulchre), a monumental inscription, in honour or memory of a person deceased. It has been disputed whether the ancient Jews inscribed epitaphs on the monuments of the dead; but be this as it will, epitaphs it is certain, of very ancient date, are found amongst them.—The Athenians, by way of epitaph, put only the name of the dead, with the epithet χρῆν, signifying "good," or ἥν, "hero," and the word χαίρις, signifying their good wishes: The name of the deceased's father and his tribe were frequently added.—The Lacedemonians allowed epitaphs to none but those who had died in battle. The Romans inscribed their epitaphs to the manes, diis manibus; and frequently introduced the dead by way of prosopopoeia, speaking to the living; of which we have a fine instance, worthy the Augustan age, wherein the dead wife thus bespeaks her surviving husband:
Immatura peri; sed tu, felicior, annos
Vive tuos, conjux optime, vive meos.
The epitaphs of the present day are generally crammed with fulsome compliments which were never merited, characters which human nature in its best state could scarce lay claim to, and expressions of respect which were never paid in the life-time of the deceased. Hence the proverb with great propriety took its rise, "He lies like an epitaph."