ˈepəˌgraf, -ȧf noun
Etymology: Greek epigraphē, from feminine of epigraphos inscribed, from epigraphein to write on, inscribe — more at epigram
1. : inscription ; especially : an inscription engraved in durable material (as on an ancient temple or monument or a coin)
2. : a quotation set at the beginning of a literary work (as a novel) or a division of it to suggest its theme : motto
a passage from the Divine Comedy provided the epigraph of the novel — R.P.Warren