V 276. Pantikapaion. Epitaph of Theodora, IV-Vth centuries C.E.

Monument

Type

Stele. 

Material

Limestone. 

Dimensions (cm)

H. 46.0, W. 30.0, Th. 13.0.

Additional description

On the front - the area for the inscription was planed in preparation. Top left corner is damaged, the left side is chipped and blackened, possibly as a result of fire. 

Place of Origin

Pantikapaion. 

Find place

Kerch. 

Find context

Glinishche (?). 

Find circumstances

1894. 

Modern location

Kerch, Crimea. 

Institution and inventory

Historical and Archeological Museum of Kerch State Historical and Cultural Preserve, КЛ–545. 

Autopsy

May 1999, September 2004, September 2008. 

Epigraphic field

Position

On the front. 

Lettering

Lapidary; letters are carved and filled in with ochre. Alpha with broken crossbar, rectangular epsilon, theta and omicron, rho with a triangular loop.  

Letterheights (cm)

3.2–4.7.

Text

Category

Epitaph. 

Date

IV-Vth centuries C.E. 

Dating criteria

Palaeography. 

Editions

L1. Shkorpil 1895, 180, № 6; 1.1. Latyshev 1896, 92, № 91; 1.1.1. Diatroptov, Yemets 1995, № 18. 

Edition

+ Ἐνθά-
δε κα(τάκει)τε
Θεδόρα.

Diplomatic

+ΕΝΘΑ
ΔΕΚΑΤΕ
ΘΕΔΟΡΑ

EpiDoc (XML)

<div type="edition" xml:lang="grc">
   <ab>
      <lb n="1"/><g ref="#stauros"/> Ἐνθά<lb n="2" break="no"/>δε <expan><abbr>κα</abbr><ex>τάκει</ex><abbr>τε</abbr></expan>
      <lb n="3"/>Θεδόρα.
   </ab>
   </div> 
 
Apparatus criticus

3: Θεοδ(ώ)ρα Shkorpil, Latyshev, Diatroptov

Translation

Here lies Theodora.

 

Commentary

The inscription was acquired for the collection of the Melek-Chesmen Tumulus Museum in 1894 (Minutes of Meetings, Odessa Society for History and Antiquities, 280, 27.10.1894. С. 8, № 11).

1–2. On the formula, see Introduction IV.3.F.d.

3. The name Theodora (here Thedora) is a female variant of Theodoros, very common in Early Christian inscriptions of Bosporus (see commentary to V 275). The syncope of -o-, unknown in Bosporus, has parallels in Christian epigraphy, and specifically in the names compound with Θεο- (I.Cret. IV 284b; Agnello 1953, № 50).

See also commentary to V 267.

 

Images

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