The ICUR series of inscriptions is not one that I have been familiar with. But Lanciani references an inscription set up by the 4th century Pope Damasus over the Archivum, engraved by the artist Furius Dionysius Philocalus. A google search for the Latin text reveals that it was published in De Rossi, ICUR, ii. 151. So I’ve been searching for the volumes since.
The Fourth Century site gives a list of volumes. I’ve added such links as I could find using Google Books and Europeana; but the items really do not seem to be online, despite being pre-1923 and so out of copyright.
- Vol. 1. G.B. De Rossi, Inscriptiones christianae urbis Romae septimo saeculo antiquiores 1, Roma 1857-1861. Preface (only) online here: http://books.google.com/books?id=Muk-AAAAcAAJ (16 pages). Full version here: http://www.mdz-nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn=urn:nbn:de:bvb:12-bsb10211912-7 (619 p.) and http://books.google.fr/books?id=qo1CAAAAcAAJ
- Vol. 2, part 1. G. B. De Rossi, Inscriptiones christianae urbis Romae septimo saeculo antiquiores 2, pars 1, Roma 1888. Preface (only) online here: http://books.google.com/books?id=nKAXAAAAYAAJ (36 pages).
- G. Gatti, Inscriptiones christianae urbis Romae septimo saeculo antiquiores 1. supplementum, fasc. 1, Roma 1915
Oh well. I shall have to go without my inscription, and the witty, modest, yet learned remarks (or otherwise) that I would have written upon it.
UPDATE: I have added another link to vol.1 sent in by a correspondent: thank you! He also points out that Damasus’ epigrams and inscriptions were all published by Ihm in 1895. Archive.org have the book: http://archive.org/details/damasiepigrammat00damauoft. Apparently the inscription I have in mind is on p.58, #57. Sadly I have no time to look now.
It seems that access to ICUR inscriptions is available from the EDB – Epigraphic Database Bari website at http://www.edb.uniba.it/search/basic. The information as the website address indicates is basic but it is a start!
I’ll take a look – thank you!
This may be too little too late but all of Damasus’ inscriptions have been collected and edited by Antonio Ferrua (in Latin unfortunately) titled Epigrammata Damasiana. I have been told that there is a “new” edited volume in the works but have yet to see it. The epigrams themselves (in Latin of course) are at this site: http://www.intratext.com/IXT/LAT0376/_INDEX.HTM
Interesting – thank you!