V 234. Alouston.Epitaph of Theodore, 1291–1392 C.E.
Monument
Type
Panel.
Material
Limestone.
Dimensions (cm)
H.22.0, W.26.0, Th.11.0.
Additional description
Inset panel with ornamental border. The centre of inset panel is occupied by a relief cross resting on Golgotha, and two smaller crosses perched above the left and right arms of the main cross. Sides are decorated with relief ornaments. Broken in two parts, the bottom is damaged.
Place of Origin
Alouston.
Find place
Alushta.
Find context
Necropolis near summer cottages of Narbut and Gay.
Find circumstances
1886, survey of V.F. Miller.
Find place
Alushta.
Find context
Area between the coastoal road and the road up to the hill, church, southeast side, outside, burial vault, revetment.
Find circumstances
1950, excavations of E.V. Veymarn.
Modern location
Unknown.Yalta, Crimea.
Institution and inventory
Unknown.
Institution and inventory
Yalta Museum of History and Literature, КП–5677.
Autopsy
Non vidi.September 2005.
Epigraphic field
Position
On both sides of the cross.
Lettering
Lapidary. Alpha with a loop and capping horizontal bar pointing left, omega is in the shape of two pointy joined ovals. Ligatures.
Letterheights (cm)
1.0–1.5.
Text
Category
Epitaph.
Date
1291–1392 C.E.
Dating criteria
Explicit date.
Editions
Fr.1. L1. Miller1888, 132, II.2; 1.1. Latyshev1896, 80–81, № 72. Fr.2. Skrzynska1958, 156–165.
<div type="edition" xml:lang="grc">
<div type="textpart" subtype="column">
<ab><cb n="A"/>
<lb n="1"/><g ref="#stauros"/>Ἐνθά<lb n="2" break="no"/>δε κα<lb n="3" break="no"/>τάκη<lb n="4" break="no"/>ται
ὁ
<lb n="5"/><supplied reason="lost">δοῦλ</supplied>ος
<lb n="6"/><supplied reason="lost"><expan><abbr>τ</abbr><ex>οῦ</ex></expan></supplied>
<roleName>θ<supplied reason="lost">εοῦ</supplied></roleName>
<lb n="7"/><gap reason="lost" quantity="1" unit="line"/>
<lb n="8"/><gap reason="lost" quantity="1" unit="line"/>
<lb n="9"/><g ref="#stauros"/> <date><num>ςω<gap reason="illegible" quantity="2" unit="character"/></num></date>.
<lb n="10"/><expan><abbr>Θεόδωρ</abbr><ex>ος</ex></expan>
<lb n="11"/>ἐθάφι,
<lb n="12"/><expan><abbr>γαμπρ</abbr><ex>ὸς</ex></expan>
<lb n="13"/>αὐτοῦ·
</ab>
</div>
<div type="textpart" subtype="column">
<ab><cb n="B"/>
<lb n="1"/>Θ<unclear>εο</unclear>δώ<lb n="2" break="no"/>ρου τοῦ
<lb n="3"/>Τηγη<lb n="4" break="no"/><gap reason="illegible" quantity="2" unit="character"/><orig>ΣΗΓ</orig>
<lb n="5"/><gap reason="lost" quantity="4" unit="character"/>
<lb n="6"/><gap reason="lost" quantity="4" unit="character"/><orig>Σ</orig>
<lb n="7"/><gap reason="lost" quantity="4" unit="character"/>
<lb n="8"/><gap reason="lost" quantity="4" unit="character"/>
</ab>
</div>
</div>Translation
Here lies a servant of God... in the year 68... Theodore was buried, his son in law; of Theodore, son of Tege...seg...
Commentary
The burial vault where fragment 2 was found is dated to the XV-XVIth centuries, and the stone was here in secondary use. L.V. Firsov (1990, 66, fig. 9) reconstructed a specific type of tombstones on the basis of our two fragments, but he did not proposed to join the fragments. In any case, Latyshev mistakenly atttributed the inscription to a date no later than VIII-IXth centuries, on the basis of script.
1–4. On the formula, see Introduction IV.3.F.d.
10, 14–15. On the name Theodore (Theodoros), see commentary to V 159.
11. The formula with incorrect spelling ἐθάφη is unique in the Northern Black Sea region, but is attested in Βull. ép. 1968, 553 (Palmyra, 535 C.E.).
12. The fourth letter, which Skrzynska identified as U-shaped beta, is actually a pi. Its appearance in the place of beta has to do with the Byzantine pronunciation of "mp" as "mb."
14-21. Apparently, two deceased were mentioned in the left part of the text: "servant of God," whose name is lost, and his son in law, Theodore. It is not entirely clear who this Theodore, son of Tege...seg... (Tigi...sig...) (in the right half of the inscription) is: either it is another person buried there, or we have here a continuation of the text that begins in the left half of the inscription; in the latter case, this Theodore is the son in law of the first Theodore, and his name is repeated here again.
16. The name that starts with Tigi- has a parallel at Pantikapaion (IV-Vth century)- Tiginagas: V 300 and Tegealmage in V 91.2 from Cherson (ca. 1000 C.E.)
On the shape of the monument, see commentary to V 318.
Images
© 2015 Andrey Vinogradov (edition), Irene Polinskaya (translation)
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