V 324. Mapa.Epitaph of Mochalis, 1392 C.E.

Monument

Type

Cross. 

Material

Limestone. 

Dimensions (cm)

H.75.0, W.43.0, Th.15.0.

Additional description

Stele in the shape of a cross with flaring arms and enlarged bottom half, on a trapezoid base; in secondary use. Chipped at the bottom, the surface is weathered. 

Place of Origin

Mapa. 

Find place

Anapa. 

Find context

Terskaya Street, well 58, masonry. 

Find circumstances

1993, excavations of E.M. Alekseeva. 

Modern location

Anapa, Krasnodar region, Russia. 

Institution and inventory

The Anapa Archaeological Museum, no inventory number. 

Autopsy

May 1999, September 2004, September 2008. 

Epigraphic field 1

Position

On the crossing and the right arm. 

Lettering

Letters partially minuscule, nu is И-shaped. Abbreviation marks. 

Letterheights (cm)

2.0–5.5.

Epigraphic field 2

Position

On the lower arm. 

Lettering

Letters partially minuscule, nu is И-shaped. Abbreviation marks. 

Letterheights (cm)

2.0–5.5.

Text

Category

Epitaph. 

Date

1392 C.E. 

Dating criteria

Explicit date. 

Editions

L1. Novichikhin. 

Edition

1
Ἰ(ησοῦ)ς
νικᾷ
Χριστός.
2
Μοχά-
λης,
θ´ Μαρτίου,
ἔτους ͵ςϠ´.

Diplomatic

1
ΙΣ
ΝΙΚΑ
ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ
2
ΜΟΧΑ
ΛΗΣ
ΘΜΑΡΤΙΟΥ
ΕΤΟΥΣΣϠ

EpiDoc (XML)

<div type="textpart" subtype="section" n="1">
      <ab>
      <lb n="1"/><expan><abbr>Ἰ</abbr><ex>ησοῦ</ex><abbr>ς</abbr></expan>
      <lb n="2"/>νικᾷ
      <lb n="3"/>Χριστός.
      </ab>
   </div>
<div type="textpart" subtype="section" n="2">
      <ab>
      <lb n="1"/>Μοχά<lb n="2" break="no"/>λης,
      <lb n="3"/><date><num value="9">θ</num> <rs type="month" ref="mar">Μαρτίου</rs>,
      <lb n="4"/>ἔτους <num value="6900">ςϠ</num></date>.
      </ab>
   </div>

Translation

1

Jesus Christ is victorious.

2

Mochalis, 9th of March, in the year 6900.

 

Commentary

On the formula, see Introduction IV.3.C.e.

Novochikhin's reading is entirely mistaken and has no basis in reality.

2. Mochalis (here Mochales) is most likely the local variant of the name Michalis (cf. V 46).

4. Apparently not recognizing the Greek letters stigma and sampi, Novochikhin first of all broke each down into two, and then combined the result to get the year 1385 C.E., having miraculously miscalculated only by 7 years. Due to this fortunate coincidence, his historical commentary (regarding the Greek element within the population of the Genoese Mapa, located on the spot of the future Anapa) remains valid.

 

Images

 Photograph of face

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