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. Latyshev 1895, 61–62, № 66; 1.1. Latyshev 1896, 88–89, № 86; 1.1.1. Diatroptov, Yemets 1995, № 13; 1.1.2. Vinogradov 1998, 234, № 1; 1.1.2.1. SEG 48, 992; 2. Vinogradov 2007, 263, № 10. 

Edition

Ἔτους γλψ´,
μηνὶ
Δύστρου.
Μνη-
5μῖον
Εὐσεβί-
ου δια-
κόνου.

Diplomatic

ΕΤΟΥΣΓΛΨ
ΜΗΝΙ
ΔΥΣΤΡΟΥ
ΜΝΗ
5ΜΙΟΝ
ΕΥΣΕΒΙ
ΟΥΔΙΑ
ΚΟΝΟΥ

EpiDoc (XML)

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   <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

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