V 189. Theodoro. Epitaph of Stephanos, 1456 C.E.

Monument

Type

Sarcophagus tombstone. 

Material

Limestone. 

Dimensions (cm)

H. 50.0, W. 182.0, Th. 56.0.

Additional description

Tombstone in the shape of saddleback sacrophagus lid, in Russian known as "single-horned tombstone," on a base. Broken in two parts, with some edges and corners damaged. The surface is chipped. 

Place of Origin

Theodoro. 

Find place

Mangup. 

Find context

Basilica, outside, by the wall of the apse. 

Find circumstances

1912, excavations of R.Ch. Loeper. 

Modern location

Sevastopol, Crimea.Bakhchisaray, Crimea. 

Institution and inventory

National Preserve of Tauric Chersonesos, 35124. 

Institution and inventory

Bakhchisaray State Historical and Cultural Preserve, A‐B–1354. 

Autopsy

May 1999, August 2001, September 2002, September 2003, September 2004, September 2005, September 2006, September 2007.September 2005. 

Epigraphic field

Position

On the "horn" and the body. 

Lettering

Lapidary style; elongated, ornate letters cut in relief, while the date is carved. Ligatures, abbreviations. 

Letterheights (cm)

4.2–6.0.

Text

Category

Epitaph. 

Date

1456 C.E. 

Dating criteria

Explicit date. 

Editions

L1. Vinogradov 2000, 445; 1.1. Bayer 2002, 220. 

Edition

Ἐκημήθι ὁ δοῦλο[ς]
τοῦ Θ(εο)ῦ Στέφανος
ἀναγνόστης, σύμβιον
καὶ τέκνον αὐτοῦ ἐν μη(νὶ) Νοεβρίο θ´, ἔτους ͵ςϠξε´.

Diplomatic

ΕΚΗΜΗΘΙΟΔΟΥΛΟ[.]
ΤΟΥΘΥΣΤΕΦΑΝΟΣ
ΑΝΑΓΝΟΣΤΗΣΣΥΜΒΙΟΝ
ΚΑΙΤΕΚΝΟΝΑΥΤΟΥΕΝΜΗΝΟΕΒΡΙΟΘΕΤΟΥΣΣϠΞΕ

EpiDoc (XML)

<div type="edition" xml:lang="grc">
      <ab>
      <lb n="1"/>Ἐκημήθι ὁ δοῦλο<supplied reason="lost">ς</supplied>
      <lb n="2"/>τοῦ <roleName><expan><abbr>Θ</abbr><ex>εο</ex><abbr>ῦ</abbr></expan></roleName> Στέφανος
      <lb n="3"/>ἀναγνόστης, σύμβιον
      <lb n="4"/>καὶ τέκνον αὐτοῦ ἐν <date><expan><abbr>μη</abbr><ex>νὶ</ex></expan>
      <rs type="month" ref="nou">Νοεβρίο</rs> <num value="9">θ</num>, ἔτους <num value="6965">ςϠξε</num></date>.
   </ab>
   </div> 
 
Apparatus criticus

4: τέκνον λιπὼν (?) Bayer

Translation

Fell asleep: a servant of God, Stephanos, his wife and children, on the 9th of November, in the year 6965.

 

Commentary

Loeper (1913, 149, fig. 4; Loeper 1914) was the first to offer a reading of the inscription and to reproduce its content. The difference between the script of the text and of the date might have to do with the latter being added to the previously prepared text after the lector Stephanos' death. Thus, the date of death only dates Stephanos, and not everyone else mentioned in the text.

1–2. On the formula, see Introduction IV.3.F.e.

2. On the name, see commentary to V 61.

3.Lectors are mentioned in several inscriptions from Mangup V 181 and V 183). We should note the ungrammatical use of cases (accusative in place of nominative) in the word σύμβιον. Bayer's conjecture has no basis: he was unaware of the common misuse of cases in Crimean inscriptions.

 

Images

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