V 15. Cherson.Building inscription of Chersakoi, VIII – 1st third of IXth century C.E.
Monument
Type
Block.
Material
Limestone.
Dimensions (cm)
H.42.0, W.37.0, Th.23.0.
Additional description
On the front - rectangular inset panel bearing relief Latin cross with arms ending in serifs. The cross and the letters are painted with ochre. The front surface is weathered.
Place of Origin
Cherson.
Find place
Unknown.
Find context
Unknown.
Find circumstances
Unknown.
Modern location
Sevastopol, Crimea.
Institution and inventory
National Preserve of Tauric Chersonesos, 81/36504.
Autopsy
May 1999, August 2001, September 2002, September 2003, September 2004, September 2005.
Epigraphic field 1
Position
In the top left corner.
Lettering
Lapidary. Alpha both with broken and slanting crossbar; lunate epsilon; lunate and rectangular sigma; bowl-shaped upsilon.
Letterheights (cm)
1.5–2.3.
Epigraphic field 2
Position
In the top right corner.
Lettering
The same as Text 1.
Letterheights (cm)
1.5–2.3.
Epigraphic field 3
Position
In the bottom left corner.
Lettering
The same as Text 1.
Letterheights (cm)
1.5–2.3.
Text
Category
Invocative, demonstrative, building inscription.
Date
VIII – 1st third of IXth century C.E.
Dating criteria
Palaeography, formula, terminology.
Editions
L1. Vinogradov2011, 224–227, № 5.
<div type="textpart" subtype="inscription" n="1">
<ab>
<lb n="1"/>῏Ο <roleName><expan><abbr>θ</abbr><ex>ε</ex><abbr>έ</abbr></expan></roleName>,
<lb n="2"/><unclear>βο</unclear>ή<unclear>θη</unclear>.
</ab>
</div><div type="textpart" subtype="inscription" n="2">
<ab>
<lb n="1"/><supplied reason="lost"><expan><abbr>Ἰ</abbr><ex>ησοῦ</ex><abbr>ς</abbr></expan></supplied>
<expan><abbr><unclear>Χ</unclear></abbr><ex>ριστὸ</ex><abbr><supplied reason="lost">ς</supplied></abbr></expan>
<lb n="2"/><unclear>νικ</unclear>ᾷ.
</ab>
</div><div type="textpart" subtype="inscription" n="3">
<ab>
<lb n="1"/><g ref="#stauros"/> <unclear>Ἀνέθη</unclear><lb n="2" break="no"/>σα<unclear>ν</unclear> <unclear>οἱ</unclear>
Χ<lb n="3" break="no"/>ερσ<unclear>άκε</unclear>ς
<lb n="4"/>το<unclear>ῦ</unclear>το.
</ab>
</div>Translation
O God, help.
2[Jesus] Christ is victoroius.
3Chersakes dedicated this.
Commentary
The side-by-side use of two types of alpha (with broken crossbar and with slanting crossbar), as well as the use of semicircular epsilon occur in Cherson only in the Xth century (V 67). This dating is supported by the formula used in Text 2 (see IV.3.C.e.).
The invocation "O God, help" is attested in Christian inscriptions thirteen times, according to PHI7 Database.
Concerning the formula, see IV.3.C.e.
1-2. This type of building formula is widely attested, including, as here, the incorrect use of the verbal form (see Studia Pontica 13; Helenopontus), although in our case we cannot exclude a variant - ἀνέστησαν.
2-3. In this inscription, as well as in V 122, the residents of Cherson are called Chersakes/Chersakoi (see commentary to V 122).
The fact that the building inscription is made in the name of the town residents fits well with the textual evidence on the self-governance of Cherson (Sorochan 2005). The most plausible date for the setting up of this inscription is before the creation of the thema. Unfortunately, because its find spot is unknown, it is impossible to tell to which structure the inscription was referring.
Images
© 2015 Andrey Vinogradov (edition), Irene Polinskaya (translation)
You may download this inscription in EpiDoc XML. (This file should validate to theEpiDoc schema.)