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Unpublished. 

Edition

Ἰ(ησοῦ)ς Χριστὸς
νικᾷ

Diplomatic

ΙΣΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ
ΝΙΚΑ

EpiDoc (XML)

<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Unpublished. 

Edition

Ἐκημήθυ ἡ̣ δούλ[η] σου
τοῦ θ(εο)ῦ Κομ̣..υσχα πρ[ε-]
σβητερίσα μ(ηνὸ)ς Μαρτίου εἰς τ[ὰ]
κη´, ἔτους
5͵ςϠκα´.

Diplomatic

ΕΚΗΜΗΘΥ.ΔΟΥΛ[.]ΣΟΥ
ΤΟΥΘΥΚΟ.··ΥΣΧΑΠΡ[.-]
ΣΒΗΤΕΡΙΣΑΜΣΜΑΡΤΙΟΥΕΙΣΤ[.]
ΚΗΕΤΟΥΣ
5ΣϠΚΑ

EpiDoc (XML)

<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).

 

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