V 215. Chilter-Marmara.Epitaph of an unknown, IX–XIth centuries C.E.
Monument
Type
Wall.
Material
Limestone.
Additional description
The surface is completely eroded.
Place of Origin
Chilter-Marmara.
Find place
Chilter-Marmara.
Find context
3rd row, room 39 (according to Veyrman), western wall, over a double grave.
Find circumstances
1896, survey of Yu.A. Kulakovsky.
Modern location
In situ.
Institution and inventory
In situ, no inventory number.
Autopsy
Non vidi.
Epigraphic field
Position
On the front.
Lettering
Dipinto; square, slanting letters. Alpha with a loop, lambda with projecting right diagonal, pi with extended horizontal.
Text
Category
Epitaph.
Date
IX–XIth centuries C.E.
Dating criteria
Palaeography.
Editions
Unpublished.
<div type="edition" xml:lang="grc">
<ab>
<lb n="1"/><expan><abbr><unclear>Ἰ</unclear></abbr><ex>ησοῦ</ex><abbr><unclear>ς</unclear></abbr></expan>
<g ref="#stauros"/> <expan><abbr>Χ</abbr><ex>ριστὸ</ex><abbr>ς</abbr></expan>
<lb n="2"/><gap reason="lost" quantity="2" unit="character"/><gap reason="illegible" quantity="2" unit="character"/>
<expan><abbr><supplied reason="lost">ἐ</supplied>κημή</abbr><supplied reason="lost"><ex>θι</ex></supplied></expan>
<date><rs type="month" ref="nou"><unclear>Νοε</unclear><lb n="3" break="no"/><unclear>β</unclear>ρ<unclear>ί</unclear><supplied reason="lost">ῳ</supplied></rs>
εἰς τὰ <num value="6">ς</num></date>. Κὲ
<lb n="4"/><supplied reason="lost">Ἰω</supplied><unclear>ά</unclear>νης
λείψα<supplied reason="lost">να</supplied> <unclear>ἔσ</unclear><supplied reason="lost">τ</supplied><unclear>η</unclear>
<lb n="5" break="no"/>σεν εἰς τὸ σπίλεω<supplied reason="lost">ν</supplied>
<lb n="6"/><gap reason="lost" quantity="5" unit="character"/> κὲ <unclear>ἀπέθ</unclear>ησεν
<lb n="7"/><gap reason="lost" quantity="3" unit="character"/> <supplied reason="lost">ἀπ᾿</supplied> ἀσπίδος
<lb n="8"/><gap reason="lost" quantity="3" unit="character"/><orig>ΑΤ</orig><gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character"/>
</ab>
</div>Translation
Jesus Christ. [...] fell asleep on the 6th of November. And Ioanes set the remains in the cave and put away [from?] the snake...
Commentary
Latyshev published only a diplomatic transcription (1896, 126б № 44с; 1897, 153) and no illustration (see Mogarichev 1997, 32, fig. 116.2). The photograph published here is preserved at the Photo Archive, Institute for History of Material Culture, Russian Academy of Sciences (О.267.16; II–1193, kindly pointed out to me by S.V. Kharitonov; also О.12.20; II–1592). By now the inscription is completely destroyed.
2. On the formula, see Introduction IV.3.F.e. The absence of the traditional epithet "servant of God" is unusual.
4. On the name John, see commentary to V 64.
5. It is noteworthy that the enclosure where the grave was found is called a cave, not a church, as had been thought by Mogarichev and others (Vinogradov, Gaydukov, Zheltov 2005, 72–80).
3-8. The formula of the second half of the inscription has no analogies.
On the photo we can see below the second illegible four-line inscription in dipinto technique, probably also funerary.
This inscription proves that the cave complex at Chilter-Marmara continued in use through the IX-XIth centuries.
Images
© 2015 Andrey Vinogradov (edition), Irene Polinskaya (translation)
You may download this inscription in EpiDoc XML. (This file should validate to theEpiDoc schema.)