V 182. Theodoro.Demonstrative inscription, XIVth–XVth centuries C.E.

Monument

Type

Stele. 

Material

Limestone. 

Dimensions (cm)

H.73.0, W.25.0, Th.27.0.

Additional description

All sides, except the front, are worked with a toothed chisel. On the front - two inset fields in the form of pointed arches (depth 2-3cm). In each inset field there is a relief foliate cross. The surface is very weathered. 

Place of Origin

Theodoro. 

Find place

Mangup. 

Find context

Gamam-Dere gully, upper part. 

Find circumstances

1968, survey under the guidance of E.V. Veymarn. 

Modern location

Unknown. 

Institution and inventory

Unknown. 

Autopsy

Non vidi. 

Epigraphic field 1

Position

Above the lower niche. 

Lettering

Lapidary. 

Epigraphic field 2

Position

Below the lower niche. 

Lettering

Lapidary. 

Text

Category

Demonstrative, Unknown. 

Date

XIVth–XVth centuries C.E. 

Dating criteria

Layout of decoration. 

Editions

Unpublished. 

Edition

1
Φ(ῶς) [Χ(ριστοῦ)] φ(αίνει) π(ᾶσιν?).
2
ΤΟΗ̣. 4.ΟΥ(?)

Diplomatic

1
Φ[..]ΦΠ
2
ΤΟ.····ΟΥ(?)

EpiDoc (XML)

<div type="textpart" subtype="section" n="1">
      <ab>
      <lb n="1"/><expan><abbr>Φ</abbr><ex>ῶς</ex></expan> <supplied reason="lost"><expan><abbr>Χ</abbr><ex>ριστοῦ</ex></expan></supplied> <expan><abbr>φ</abbr><ex>αίνει</ex></expan> <expan><abbr>π</abbr><ex cert="low">ᾶσιν</ex></expan>.
      </ab>
   </div>
<div type="textpart" subtype="section" n="2">
      <ab>
      <lb n="1"/><orig>ΤΟ</orig><orig><unclear>Η</unclear></orig><gap reason="illegible" quantity="4" unit="character"/><orig>ΟΥ</orig><note>?</note>
      </ab>
   </div>

Translation

1

The light of Christ shines for all.

2

Cannot be translated.

 

Commentary

The inscription had been mentioned by Choref 1969, 3–4; Veymarn, Loboda, Pioro, Choref 1975, 134–135; I was not able to find it, and it is unclear whether it had been removed from the findspot. There are several difficulties in the interpretation of this monument. One has to do with its design: Byzantine tombstones with two crosses are unknown in Crimea. The second difficulty concerns the reconstruction of the text on the basis of a drawing: a text consisting of 3-4 letters, of which the first is phi, and placed next to a cross, apparently should be the formula Φ(ῶς) Χ(ριστοῦ) φ(αίνει) π(ᾶσιν) (see Introduction IV.3.C.a), but the second letter is missing on the drawing, while the third and fourth have strange shapes.

The last letter appears as a tau on the drawing, but it is more likely to be an upsilon from the ending of a genitive case. This text might be a fragment of an epitaph.

 

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