V 72. Cherson.Epitaph of Kyriakos, son of Theodore (?), IV–Vth centuries C.E.

Monument

Type

Cross (?). 

Material

Limestone (?). 

Dimensions (cm)

H.27.0, W.18.0, Th.88.0.

Additional description

Broken off at the top. Only the bottom arm of the cross survives; it widens to form a base. A raised border runs along the edges on the front. The right half of the front is chipped away. 

Place of Origin

Cherson. 

Find place

Sevastopol (Chersonesos). 

Find context

Necropolis by the Quarantine Bay, Burial vault 2385. 

Find circumstances

1907, excavations of K.K. Kostsyushko-Valyuzhinich. 

Modern location

Unknown. 

Institution and inventory

Unknown. 

Autopsy

Non vidi. 

Epigraphic field

Position

Within a frame. 

Lettering

Lapidary. Alpha with left-slanting crossbar, half-diamond sigma. 

Letterheights (cm)

2.0–3.0.

Text

Category

Epitaph. 

Date

IV–Vth centuries C.E. 

Dating criteria

Palaeography. 

Editions

L1. Latyshev1908, 30, № 24; 1.1. Vinogradov2010, 136–138, № i. 

Edition

[Ἐνθάδε κατ-]
ά̣[κιτε]
Κυ̣[ρι-]
ακὸς Θ̣[εο-]
5δόρο̣[υ].

Diplomatic

[.........-]
.[....]
Κ.[..-]
ΑΚΟΣ.[..-]
5ΔΟΡ.[.]

EpiDoc (XML)

<div type="edition" xml:lang="grc">
   <ab>
      <lb n="1"/><supplied reason="lost">Ἐνθάδε</supplied> <supplied reason="lost">κατ</supplied><lb n="2" break="no"/><unclear>ά</unclear><supplied reason="lost">κιτε</supplied>
      <lb n="3"/>Κ<unclear>υ</unclear><supplied reason="lost">ρι</supplied><lb n="4" break="no"/>ακὸς <unclear>Θ</unclear><supplied reason="lost">εο</supplied><lb n="5" break="no"/>δόρ<unclear>ο</unclear><supplied reason="lost">υ</supplied>.
   </ab>
   </div>
 
Apparatus criticus

1-2: om.Latyshev

Translation

Here lies Kyriakos, son of Theodore.

 

Commentary

If this monument had originally been a cross, then in its top half we would expect a formula with a name of the deceased in the nominative. Judging by the Early Byzantine date of the inscription and the remains of an alpha, the formula most likely was Ἐνθάδε κατάκειται. The name Kyriakos has parallels in the Northern Black Sea region (V 242, V 304, V 325).

Palaeographic features are close to those of V 5: we may compare the shapes of alpha, and kappa without elongated vertical. At the same time, a rare form of sigma - half diamond - has a parallel in the same shape of an epsilon: V 65.

On circumstances of discovery, see Kostsyushko-Valyuzhinich 1911, 80. The grave was probably not robbed, as was Yakobson's opinion, but rather contained no grave goods (see Sorochan 2005, 1072, n. 123). On tombstones in the shape of a cross, see commentary to V 61.

 

Images

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