Life The author of the Pectorius epitaph is anonymous. This Christian funerary inscription was discovered in Autun, France (ancient Augustodunum) and is dated on paleographic grounds to the late 3rd or early 4th century CE [1][2]. The find in Gaul indicates the author belonged to an early Christian community in that Roman province.

Works The sole surviving work is the Epitaph of Pectorius (Ἐπιτάφιος τοῦ Πεκτορίου), a poem inscribed on stone. It survives in its original epigraphic form and is a significant early example of Christian poetry composed in Greek within the Latin West [1][2].

Significance The epitaph is a notable monument of early Christian literature and epigraphy. Composed in dactylic hexameter, it adapts classical form for Christian theology, featuring rich sacramental imagery such as the ΙΧΘΥΣ (fish) acrostic for Christ and references to the Eucharist [1][2]. It provides valuable evidence for early Christian beliefs and poetic practice in the pre- or post-Constantinian period.

Sources 1. Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Classics: "Epigraphy, Greek, Christian" – https://oxfordre.com/classics/view/10.1093/acrefore/9780199381135.001.0001/acrefore-9780199381135-e-2492 2. Perseus Digital Library, Search Results for "Pectorius": http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/searchresults?q=pectorius