V 201. Syuren fortress.Inscriptions on a panel, XIV–XVth centuries C.E.
Monument
Type
Panel.
Material
Limestone.
Dimensions (cm)
H.31.0, W.59.0, Th.7.0.
Additional description
On the front at the top - two lines are incised, graffiti drawings at the bottom. Damaged by fire, bottom right corner is missing; chipped on the surface.
Place of Origin
Syuren fortress.
Find place
Syuren fortress.
Find context
Trench 3, gates, filled in with later masonry.
Find circumstances
1978, excavations of Yu.N. Voronin.
Modern location
Simferopol, Crimea.
Institution and inventory
Central Museum of Tavrida, no inventory number.
Autopsy
September 2006.
Epigraphic field 1
Position
At the top in the middle.
Lettering
Graffito. Alpha, delta and lambda with projecting right hasta, mu with Y-shaped middle. Abbreviations.
Letterheights (cm)
0.7–3.5.
Text 1
Category
Commemoration.
Date
XIV–XVth centuries C.E.
Dating criteria
Palaeography.
Editions
Unpublished.
<div type="textpart" subtype="inscription" n="1">
<ab>
<lb n="1"/><g ref="#stauros"/> <expan><abbr>Κλήμ</abbr><ex>ης</ex></expan>
<expan><abbr>πρ</abbr><ex>εσ</ex><abbr>β</abbr><ex>ύτερος</ex></expan>
τοῦ Τούρλα, δοῦλος <expan><abbr>Χ</abbr><ex>ριστο</ex><abbr>ῦ</abbr></expan>.
</ab>
</div>Translation
Klemes, presbyter of Tourla, servant of Christ.
Commentary
The inscription was most likely commemorative. The name Klemes (Clemens) is not otherwise attested in inscriptions from the Northern Black Sea region, but it was well known in Cherson. Regarding the reference to a place where Klemes served as presbyter, see commentary to V 122. The Late Byzantine word τούρλα (corruption of τροῦλλα) means "dome" (see Millet 1895, № 2, 3; Trabzon, 1486 и 1547 C.E.) and survives in Modern Greek in the sense of "dome-shaped hill." In our case, it is probably a toponym, indeclinable in form. In Crimea, we know of a rocky crag Turla-Kaya on the ridge of Kyzyl-Kaya above Yalta, however, no archaeological remains are known from that site. It is possible, therefore, that the Tourla of our inscription is the Greek name of the Suyren fortress, taken from the shape of a hill or from the domed ceiling of a tower.
Images
Epigraphic field 2
Position
On the left.
Lettering
Graffito, minuscule letters.
Text 2
Category
Invocative inscription.
Date
XIV–XVth centuries C.E.
Dating criteria
Palaeography.
Editions
Unpublished.
<div type="textpart" subtype="inscription" n="2">
<ab>
<lb n="1"/><g ref="#stauros"/> <roleName><expan><abbr>Κ</abbr><ex>ύρι</ex><abbr>ε</abbr></expan></roleName>, βοήθη τὸν
<lb n="2"/><supplied reason="lost">δοῦ</supplied>λόν σου Κύρη<lb n="3" break="no"/>λλον.
</ab>
</div>Translation
Lord, help your servant Cyril.
Commentary
1–2. On the formula, see Introduction IV.3.E.a.
The name Cyril (here Kyrellos) is not otherwise attested in inscriptions from the Northern Black Sea region, but it was well known in Cherson from other sources.
Epigraphic field 3
Position
Below Text 2.
Lettering
Graffito, minuscule letters.
Text 3
Category
Commemoration.
Date
XIV–XVth centuries C.E.
Dating criteria
Palaeography.
Editions
Unpublished.
<div type="textpart" subtype="inscription" n="3">
<ab>
<lb n="1"/><g ref="#stauros"/> <gap reason="illegible" quantity="3" unit="character"/>
Θεώ<lb n="2" break="no"/><supplied reason="lost">δω</supplied>ρον
<gap reason="illegible" quantity="3" unit="character"/> <orig>ΤΟΚ</orig>.
</ab>
</div>Translation
...Theo[do]re...
Commentary
The name Theodore (Theodoros) is also attested in Late Byzantine Mountainous Crimea in V 153.
Epigraphic field 4
Position
To the right of Text 1.
Lettering
Graffito, minuscule letters.
Text 4
Category
Commemoration.
Date
XIV–XVth centuries C.E.
Dating criteria
Palaeography.
Editions
Unpublished.
<div type="textpart" subtype="inscription" n="4">
<ab>
<lb n="1"/><g ref="#stauros"/> <orig>Κ</orig>
</ab>
</div>Translation
K.
Commentary
This text is by the same hand as Text 1 and might have been an abandoned attempt at inscribing that text.
© 2015 Andrey
Vinogradov (edition), Irene Polinskaya (translation)
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