V 228. Mountainous Crimea (?).Epitaph of Kom–yscha, 1413 C.E.
Monument
Type
Stele.
Material
Limestone.
Dimensions (cm)
H.49.0, W.26.0, Th.14.0.
Additional description
On the front - relief cross, ornaments - on the sides. Broken in two parts, broken off at the top and bottom, the surface is chipped.
Place of Origin
Mountainous Crimea (?).
Find place
Unknown.
Find context
Unknown.
Find circumstances
Unknown.
Modern location
Odessa, Ukraine.
Institution and inventory
Odessa Archaeological Museum, 50449.
Autopsy
May 1999.
Epigraphic field 1
Position
In corners between the arms of the cross.
Lettering
See below.
Text 1
Category
Demonstrative.
Date
1413 C.E.
Dating criteria
Explicit date.
Editions
Unpublished.
<div type="textpart" subtype="inscription" n="1">
<ab>
<lb n="1"/><expan><abbr>Ἰ</abbr><ex>ησοῦ</ex><abbr>ς</abbr></expan> Χριστὸς
<lb n="2"/>νικᾷ
</ab>
</div>Translation
Jesus Christ is victorious.
Commentary
The overall design of the monument is similar to Late Byzantine tombstones from Mountainous Crimea. At the same time, we should note that there are no other monuments from this region in the collection of the Odessa Society for History and Antiquities. Two Late Byzantine tombstones from Bosporus can be cited as parallels (V 318, V 320). The latter (including those for women) contain only Greek names, in contrast to this inscription (see below), which in this respect is akin to monuments from Mountainous Crimea. Thus, the question of the panel's origin remains open.
On the formula, see Introduction IV.3.C.e.
Epigraphic field 2
Position
Above and below the cross.
Lettering
Lapidary. Ligatures: pi-rho, rho-tau.
Letterheights (cm)
0.8–2.8.
Text 2
Category
Epitaph.
Date
1413 C.E.
Dating criteria
Explicit date.
Editions
Unpublished.
<div type="textpart" subtype="inscription" n="2">
<ab>
<lb n="1"/>Ἐκημήθυ <unclear>ἡ</unclear> δούλ<supplied reason="lost">η</supplied> σου
<lb n="2"/>τοῦ <roleName><expan><abbr>θ</abbr><ex>εο</ex><abbr>ῦ</abbr></expan></roleName> Κο<unclear>μ</unclear><gap reason="illegible" quantity="2" unit="character"/>υσχα πρ<supplied reason="lost">ε</supplied>
<lb n="3" break="no"/>σβητερίσα <date><expan><abbr>μ</abbr><ex>ηνὸ</ex><abbr>ς</abbr></expan> <rs type="month" ref="mar">Μαρτίου</rs> εἰς τ<supplied reason="lost">ὰ</supplied>
<lb n="4"/><num value="28">κη</num>, ἔτους
<lb n="5"/><num value="6921">ςϠκα</num></date>.
</ab>
</div>Translation
Fell asleep: a servant of God, Kom..yscha, presbyterissa, on the 28th of March, in the year 6921.
Commentary
2–3. On the formula, see Introduction IV.3.F.e.
3. Although the name is not fully preserved, it appears to be non-Greek, which is often the case in Mountainous Crimea. As a comparison, the name Ekoumanes comes to mind (V 136).
3-4. In Byzantium, a presbyterissa was a wife of presbyter (Lampe, s.v.); one is mentioned in a Cyprian inscription of the XIV-XVth century (Stylianou 1960, № 107).
© 2015 Andrey Vinogradov (edition), Irene Polinskaya (translation)
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