V 146. Laki (?).Epitaph of Mamtzi, 1361–1372 C.E.

Monument

Type

Stele. 

Material

Limestone. 

Dimensions (cm)

H.98.5, W.36.0, Th.20.0.

Additional description

Stele with triangular top. On the front - relief cross within inset panel, and below - inscribed inset panel with triangular top; zigzag ornament along the long sides. On the back - a string-course (H. 2cm). Additional ornaments on the sides and back of the stele.  

Place of Origin

Laki (?). 

Find place

Unknown. 

Find context

Unknown. 

Find circumstances

Unknown. 

Modern location

Bakhchisaray, Crimea. 

Institution and inventory

Bakhchisaray State Historical and Cultural Preserve, no inventory number. 

Autopsy

September 2005. 

Epigraphic field 1

Position

In corners between the arms of the cross. 

Lettering

See below. 

Letterheights (cm)

0.7–2.0

Text 1

Category

Demonstrative. 

Date

1361–1372 C.E. 

Dating criteria

Explicit date. 

Editions

Unpublished. 

Edition

Ἰ(ησοῦ)ς [Χ](ριστὸ)ς
νι[κᾷ].

Diplomatic

ΙΣ[.]Σ
ΝΙ[..]

EpiDoc (XML)

<div type="textpart" subtype="inscription" n="1">
      <ab>
      <lb n="1"/><expan><abbr>Ἰ</abbr><ex>ησοῦ</ex><abbr>ς</abbr></expan> <expan><abbr><supplied reason="lost">Χ</supplied></abbr><ex>ριστὸ</ex><abbr>ς</abbr></expan>
      <lb n="2"/>νι<supplied reason="lost">κᾷ</supplied>.
      </ab>
   </div>

Translation

Jesus Christ is victorious.

 

Commentary

On the formula, see Introduction IV.3.C.e.

 

Epigraphic field 2

Position

Inset panel below the cross. 

Lettering

Lapidary. Minuscule beta, zeta and lambda; mu with T-shaped crossbar, И-shaped nu, V-shaped upsilon, bowl-shaped omega. Ligature, superscript marks, abbreviations. 

Letterheights (cm)

1.2.

Text 2

Category

Epitaph. 

Date

1363–1364 C.E. 

Dating criteria

Explicit date. 

Editions

Unpublished. 

Edition

+ Ἐκοιμ[ήθη].
vac.
+ Ἐκοιμήθ(η) ὡ δοῦλ(ος)
τοῦ θ(εο)ῦ Μαμ-
5τζη, ἔτι ͵ςω-
οβ´.

Diplomatic

+ΕΚΟΙΜ[...]
     vacat
+ΕΚΟΙΜΗΘΩΔΟΥΛ
ΤΟΥΘΥΜΑΜ
5ΤΖΗΕΤΙΣΩ
ΟΒ

EpiDoc (XML)

<div type="textpart" subtype="inscription" n="2">
      <ab>
      <lb n="1"/><g ref="#stauros"/> Ἐκοιμ<supplied reason="lost">ήθη</supplied>.
      <lb n="2"/><space unit="line"/>
      <lb n="3"/><g ref="#stauros"/> <expan><abbr>Ἐκοιμήθ</abbr><ex>η</ex></expan> ὡ <expan><abbr>δοῦλ</abbr><ex>ος</ex></expan>
      <lb n="4"/>τοῦ <roleName><expan><abbr>θ</abbr><ex>εο</ex><abbr>ῦ</abbr></expan></roleName> Μαμ<lb n="5" break="no"/>τζη, <date>ἔτι <num value="6872">ςω<lb n="6" break="no"/>οβ</num></date>.
      </ab>
   </div>

Translation

Fell asleep. Fell asleep: a servant of God, Mamtzi, in the year 6872.

 

Commentary

1. It is not entirely clear why the inscription remained unfinished. One possibility is that a space was deliberately left for one more name to be added. Marks to the left of the text are not letters.

2–3. On the formula, see Introduction IV.3.F.e.

3–4. For the name Mamtizi, cf. V 45).

4-5 The last digit in the year date cannot be an upsilon because in the rest of the inscription upsilon is V-shaped. Most likely we have a singular example of the use of a minuscule beta in Mountainous Crimea.

The dating formula by ἔτει suggests that our inscription might have originated at Laki (cf. V 142, V 143). The latter is also close to our inscription in date - 1362 C.E.

 

Images

(cc)© 2015 Andrey Vinogradov (edition), Irene Polinskaya (translation)
You may download this inscription in EpiDoc XML. (This file should validate to theEpiDoc schema.)