V 295. Pantikapaion.Epitaph of Eusebios, 437 C.E.
Monument
Type
Panel.
Material
Soft limestone.
Dimensions (cm)
H.47.5, W.44.0, Th.20.0.
Additional description
On the front - relief border and a Greek cross with serifs, and with alpha and omega on lateral arms; on the right side - a dowel hole for attachment (traces of secondary use?); traces of ochre. Letters are weathered in places.
Place of Origin
Pantikapaion.
Find place
Kerch.
Find context
Unknown.
Find circumstances
Before November 1892.
Modern location
Kerch, Crimea.
Institution and inventory
Historical and Archeological Museum of Kerch State Historical and Cultural Preserve, КЛ–539.
Autopsy
September 2008.
Epigraphic field
Position
In corners between the arms of the cross.
Lettering
Lapidary. Alpha with broken crossbar, rectangular epsilon, omicron and omega.
Letterheights (cm)
3.0–4.0.
Text
Category
Epitaph.
Date
437 C.E.
Dating criteria
Explicit date.
Editions
L1. Latyshev1895, 61–62, № 66; 1.1. Latyshev1896, 88–89, № 86; 1.1.1. Diatroptov, Yemets1995, № 13; 1.1.2. Vinogradov1998, 234, № 1; 1.1.2.1. SEG 48, 992; 2. Vinogradov2007, 263, № 10.
<div type="edition" xml:lang="grc">
<div type="textpart" subtype="part">
<ab>
<lb n="1"/><date>Ἔτους <num value="733">γλψ</num>,
<lb n="2"/>μηνὶ
<lb n="3"/>Δύστρου</date>.
</ab>
</div>
<div type="textpart" subtype="part">
<div type="textpart" subtype="column">
<ab>
<lb n="4"/>Μνη<lb n="5" break="no"/>μῖον
</ab>
</div>
<div type="textpart" subtype="column">
<ab>
<lb n="6"/>Εὐσεβί<lb n="7" break="no"/>ου δια<lb n="8" break="no"/>κόνου.
</ab>
</div>
</div>
</div>Translation
In the year 733, in the month of Dystros. Monument of Eusebios, deacon.
Commentary
The monument was presented as a gift to the museum in 1892 by merchant Bouksel who informed the museum staff that the stone had been found at Kerch, but where exactly is unknown. The shape of the monument resembles V 298.
1-3. A date at the beginning of inscription is attested only once in Bosporan epigraphy (CIRB 734, 285 C.E.), and in the same way as in our monument: only by year and month, without a date. The month of Dystros roughly corresponds to March.
4–5. On the formula, see Introduction IV.3.F.h.
6–7. The name Eusebios is known in Christian epigraphy of the Northern Black Sea region in V 18 (Cherson).
7–8. Indication of the clerical title, although very common in Christian epigraphy (there are ca. 340 deacons in the PHI7 Database), is attested only one more time in the Early Byzantine period in the Northern Black Sea region - V 61 (Cherson).
Images
© 2015 Andrey Vinogradov (edition), Irene Polinskaya (translation)
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