V 79. Cherson. Epitaph of Peter, Christopher and Sisinios, VI–VIIth centuries C.E.

Monument

Type

Stele. 

Material

Limestone. 

Dimensions (cm)

H. 40.0, W. 23.0, Th. 7.0.

Additional description

Stele with rounded top. On the front is a relief, vertically stretched cross. On the back is a relief four-petal rosette. Broken at the bottom, chipped on the sides. 

Place of Origin

Cherson. 

Institution and inventory

National Preserve of Tauric Chersonesos, 101/36504. 

Epigraphic field 1

Position

In the semicircle, at the top. 

Lettering

Lapidary. Alpha with broken crossbar, rectangular epsilon, diamond omicron, rho, and phi, lunate sigma. Ligatures: omicron-diamond rho, mu-nu-eta, eta-nu-eta. 

Letterheights (cm)

1.2–2.7.

Text 1

Category

Epitaph. 

Date

VI–VIIth centuries C.E. 

Dating criteria

Palaeography. 

Editions

L1. Soznik, Turovsky, et al. 1997, 64-74; 1.1. SEG 47.1172; 2. Vinogradov 2009, 242-244. 

Edition

Μνῆμα
Πέτρου ναύτου.
Μνῆμα Χριστο-
φόρου κὲ [Σ]ηση{ν}νήου.

Diplomatic

ΜΝΗΜΑ
ΠΕΤΡΟΥΝΑΥΤΟΥ
ΜΝΗΜΑΧΡΙΣΤΟ
ΦΟΡΟΥΚΕ[.]ΗΣΗΝΝΗΟΥ

EpiDoc (XML)

<div type="textpart" subtype="inscription" n="1">
      <ab>
      <lb n="1"/>Μνῆμα
      <lb n="2"/>Πέτρου ναύτου.
      <lb n="3"/>Μνῆμα Χριστο<lb n="4" break="no"/>φόρου κὲ <supplied reason="lost">Σ</supplied>ηση<surplus>ν</surplus>νήου.
      </ab>
   </div> 
 
Apparatus criticus

4: ΗΣΗ.ΗΟΥ resp. ΚΥΡΙΕ ΒΟΗΘΕ (sic!) (?) Soznik

Translation

Monument of Peter, a sailor. Monument of Christopher and Sisinios.

 

Commentary

Despite the consistency of script throughout the text, the absence of a conjunction between lines 1-2 and 3-4 raises a possibility that the two sentences were not inscribed simultaneously, but "monument of Peter, a sailor" first, and "monument of Christopher and Sisinios" later.

1, 3. On the formula, see Introduction IV.3.F.h.

3-4.On the name Christopher, see commentary to V 61. The name Sisinios (here Seseneos) is attested in the Northern Black Sea region twice: in Bulgaria, Beševliev 1964, № 100 (VIth century, Odessos) and № 181а ((VIII–IXth century, Sozopol) - in the former case, the name is accompanied by a profession, leatherworker.

The script of our inscription is similar to that of V 60, V 62 and V 78. It most likely comes from a burial vault of the Necropolis by the Extramural Church.

 

Images

Epigraphic field 2

Position

Below the rosette, crosswise. 

Lettering

Lapidary. Alpha with broken crossbar, rectangular epsilon, diamond omicron, rho, and phi, lunate sigma. Ligatures: omicron-diamond rho, mu-nu-eta, eta-nu-eta. 

Letterheights (cm)

1.7–3.5.

Text 2

Category

Demonstrative. 

Date

VI–VIIth centuries C.E. 

Dating criteria

Palaeography. 

Editions

L1. Soznik, Turovsky, et al. 1997,1 64-74; 1.1. SEG 47.1172. 

Edition

Φῶς,
ζωή.

Diplomatic

ΦΩΣ
ΖΩΗ

EpiDoc (XML)

<div type="textpart" subtype="inscription" n="2">
      <ab>
      <lb n="1"/>Φῶς,
      <lb n="2"/>ζωή.
      </ab>
   </div> 

Translation

Light, life.

 

Commentary

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

 

Epigraphic field 3

Position

Below the rosette, crosswise. 

Lettering

Lapidary. Alpha with broken crossbar, rectangular epsilon, diamond omicron, rho, and phi, lunate sigma. Ligatures: omicron-diamond rho, mu-nu-eta, eta-nu-eta. 

Letterheights (cm)

2.2–7.8.

Text 3

Category

Demonstrative. 

Date

VI–VIIth centuries C.E. 

Dating criteria

Palaeography. 

Editions

L1. Soznik, Turovsky, et al. 1997, 1 64-74; 1.1. SEG 47.1172. 

Edition

Φῶς,
ζωή.

Diplomatic

ΦΩΣ
ΖΩΗ

EpiDoc (XML)

<div type="textpart" subtype="inscription" n="3">
      <ab>
      <lb n="1"/>Φῶς,
      <lb n="2"/>ζωή.
      </ab>
   </div> 

Translation

Light, life.

 

Commentary

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

 

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