V 253. Sougdaia.Epitaph of an unknown, IX–XIth centuries C.E.

Monument

Type

Stele. 

Material

Plain "Dikar" limestone. 

Dimensions (cm)

H.16.0.

Additional description

Stele with rounded top; on the front: a deeply recessed field following the contours of the stele; in the centre of the recess - compass cross (a circle intersected by four arcs, forming a cross). Cut on the left, broken at the bottom. 

Place of Origin

Sougdaia. 

Find place

Sudak. 

Find context

Fortress, between towers of 1388 and 1394, wall. 

Find circumstances

1872, survey of N.N. Murzakevich. 

Modern location

Sudak, Crimea. 

Institution and inventory

Museum "Sudak Fortress", no inventory number. 

Autopsy

September 2003, September 2009. 

Epigraphic field

Position

In the recessed field, below the compass cross. 

Lettering

Lapidary. Alpha with slanting crossbar. 

Letterheights (cm)

4.0–4.8.

Text

Category

Epitaph. 

Date

IX–XIth centuries C.E. 

Dating criteria

Palaeography. 

Editions

L1. Murzakevich1872, 318; 1.1. Latyshev1896, 81–82, № 73; 1.2. Latyshev1913, 107–108, № 1; 2. Vinogradov, Dzhanov2004, 413–414, № 7. 

Edition

+Ὑπὲρ μα-
καρήας μ-
νήμις καὶ
ἀναπ̣[αύσε-]
5[ως τοῦ δεῖνος].

Diplomatic

+ΥΠΕΡΜΑ
ΚΑΡΗΑΣΜ
ΝΗΜΙΣΚΑΙ
ΑΝΑ.[....-]
5[...........]

EpiDoc (XML)

<div type="edition" xml:lang="grc">
   <ab>
      <lb n="1"/><g ref="#stauros"/>Ὑπὲρ μα<lb n="2" break="no"/>καρήας μ<lb n="3" break="no"/>νήμις καὶ
      <lb n="4"/>ἀνα<unclear>π</unclear><supplied reason="lost">αύσε</supplied><lb n="5" break="no"/><supplied reason="lost">ως</supplied> <supplied reason="lost">τοῦ δεῖνος</supplied>.
   </ab>
   </div>

Translation

For the blessed memory and rest of...

 

Commentary

1–5. On the formula, see Introduction IV.3.F.a.

5. Latyshev rightly observed that the name, and possibly the date of death, had chipped off.

Terminus ante quem for our monument is the end of the XIVth century, the construction date for the wall into which it was built. Alpha with slanting crossbar suggests a date after the IXth century (contrary to the date proposed in my original publication, where this lettershape had not been taken into consideration).

 

Images

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