V 201. Syuren fortress. Inscriptions on a panel, XIV–XVth centuries C.E.

Monument

Type

Panel. 

Material

Limestone. 

Dimensions (cm)

H. 31.0, W. 59.0, Th. 7.0.

Additional description

On the front at the top - two lines are incised, graffiti drawings at the bottom. Damaged by fire, bottom right corner is missing; chipped on the surface. 

Place of Origin

Syuren fortress. 

Find place

Syuren fortress. 

Find context

Trench 3, gates, filled in with later masonry. 

Find circumstances

1978, excavations of Yu.N. Voronin. 

Modern location

Simferopol, Crimea. 

Institution and inventory

Central Museum of Tavrida, no inventory number. 

Autopsy

September 2006. 

Epigraphic field 1

Position

At the top in the middle. 

Lettering

Graffito. Alpha, delta and lambda with projecting right hasta, mu with Y-shaped middle. Abbreviations. 

Letterheights (cm)

0.7–3.5.

Text 1

Category

Commemoration. 

Date

XIV–XVth centuries C.E. 

Dating criteria

Palaeography. 

Editions

Unpublished. 

Edition

+ Κλήμ(ης) πρ(εσ)β(ύτερος) τοῦ Τούρλα, δοῦλος Χ(ριστο)ῦ.

Diplomatic

+ΚΛΗΜΠΡΒΤΟΥΤΟΥΡΛΑΔΟΥΛΟΣΧΥ

EpiDoc (XML)

<div type="textpart" subtype="inscription" n="1">
      <ab>
      <lb n="1"/><g ref="#stauros"/> <expan><abbr>Κλήμ</abbr><ex>ης</ex></expan>
      <expan><abbr>πρ</abbr><ex>εσ</ex><abbr>β</abbr><ex>ύτερος</ex></expan>
      τοῦ Τούρλα, δοῦλος <expan><abbr>Χ</abbr><ex>ριστο</ex><abbr>ῦ</abbr></expan>.
      </ab>
   </div> 

Translation

Klemes, presbyter of Tourla, servant of Christ.

 

Commentary

The inscription was most likely commemorative. The name Klemes (Clemens) is not otherwise attested in inscriptions from the Northern Black Sea region, but it was well known in Cherson. Regarding the reference to a place where Klemes served as presbyter, see commentary to V 122. The Late Byzantine word τούρλα (corruption of τροῦλλα) means "dome" (see Millet 1895, № 2, 3; Trabzon, 1486 и 1547 C.E.) and survives in Modern Greek in the sense of "dome-shaped hill." In our case, it is probably a toponym, indeclinable in form. In Crimea, we know of a rocky crag Turla-Kaya on the ridge of Kyzyl-Kaya above Yalta, however, no archaeological remains are known from that site. It is possible, therefore, that the Tourla of our inscription is the Greek name of the Suyren fortress, taken from the shape of a hill or from the domed ceiling of a tower.

 

Images

Epigraphic field 2

Position

On the left. 

Lettering

Graffito, minuscule letters. 

Text 2

Category

Invocative inscription. 

Date

XIV–XVth centuries C.E. 

Dating criteria

Palaeography. 

Editions

Unpublished. 

Edition

+ Κ(ύρι)ε, βοήθη τὸν
[δοῦ]λόν σου Κύρη-
λλον.

Diplomatic

+ΚΕΒΟΗΘΗΤΟΝ
[...]ΛΟΝΣΟΥΚΥΡΗ
ΛΛΟΝ

EpiDoc (XML)

<div type="textpart" subtype="inscription" n="2">
      <ab>
      <lb n="1"/><g ref="#stauros"/> <roleName><expan><abbr>Κ</abbr><ex>ύρι</ex><abbr>ε</abbr></expan></roleName>, βοήθη τὸν
      <lb n="2"/><supplied reason="lost">δοῦ</supplied>λόν σου Κύρη<lb n="3" break="no"/>λλον.
      </ab>
   </div> 

Translation

Lord, help your servant Cyril.

 

Commentary

1–2. On the formula, see Introduction IV.3.E.a.

The name Cyril (here Kyrellos) is not otherwise attested in inscriptions from the Northern Black Sea region, but it was well known in Cherson from other sources.

 

Epigraphic field 3

Position

Below Text 2. 

Lettering

Graffito, minuscule letters. 

Text 3

Category

Commemoration. 

Date

XIV–XVth centuries C.E. 

Dating criteria

Palaeography. 

Editions

Unpublished. 

Edition

+ ... Θεώ-
[δω]ρον ... ΤΟΚ.

Diplomatic

+···ΘΕΩ
[..]ΡΟΝ···ΤΟΚ

EpiDoc (XML)

<div type="textpart" subtype="inscription" n="3">
      <ab>
      <lb n="1"/><g ref="#stauros"/> <gap reason="illegible" quantity="3" unit="character"/>
      Θεώ<lb n="2" break="no"/><supplied reason="lost">δω</supplied>ρον
      <gap reason="illegible" quantity="3" unit="character"/> <orig>ΤΟΚ</orig>.
      </ab>
   </div> 

Translation

...Theo[do]re...

 

Commentary

The name Theodore (Theodoros) is also attested in Late Byzantine Mountainous Crimea in V 153.

 

Epigraphic field 4

Position

To the right of Text 1. 

Lettering

Graffito, minuscule letters. 

Text 4

Category

Commemoration. 

Date

XIV–XVth centuries C.E. 

Dating criteria

Palaeography. 

Editions

Unpublished. 

Edition

+ Κ

Diplomatic

EpiDoc (XML)

<div type="textpart" subtype="inscription" n="4">
      <ab>
      <lb n="1"/><g ref="#stauros"/> <orig>Κ</orig>
      </ab>
   </div> 

Translation

K.

 

Commentary

This text is by the same hand as Text 1 and might have been an abandoned attempt at inscribing that text.

 

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