V 253. Sougdaia. Epitaph of an unknown, IX–XIth centuries C.E.
Monument
Type
Stele.
Material
Plain "Dikar" limestone.
Dimensions (cm)
H. 16.0.
Additional description
Stele with rounded top; on the front: a deeply recessed field following the contours of the stele; in the centre of the recess - compass cross (a circle intersected by four arcs, forming a cross). Cut on the left, broken at the bottom.
Place of Origin
Sougdaia.
Find place
Sudak.
Find context
Fortress, between towers of 1388 and 1394, wall.
Find circumstances
1872, survey of N.N. Murzakevich.
Modern location
Sudak, Crimea.
Institution and inventory
Museum "Sudak Fortress", no inventory number.
Autopsy
September 2003, September 2009.
Epigraphic field
Position
In the recessed field, below the compass cross.
Lettering
Lapidary. Alpha with slanting crossbar.
Letterheights (cm)
4.0–4.8.
Text
Category
Epitaph.
Date
IX–XIth centuries C.E.
Dating criteria
Palaeography.
Editions
L1. Murzakevich 1872, 318; 1.1. Latyshev 1896, 81–82, № 73; 1.2. Latyshev 1913, 107–108, № 1; 2. Vinogradov, Dzhanov 2004, 413–414, № 7.
<div type="edition" xml:lang="grc">
<ab>
<lb n="1"/><g ref="#stauros"/>Ὑπὲρ μα<lb n="2" break="no"/>καρήας μ<lb n="3" break="no"/>νήμις καὶ
<lb n="4"/>ἀνα<unclear>π</unclear><supplied reason="lost">αύσε</supplied><lb n="5" break="no"/><supplied reason="lost">ως</supplied> <supplied reason="lost">τοῦ δεῖνος</supplied>.
</ab>
</div> Translation
For the blessed memory and rest of...
Commentary
1–5. On the formula, see Introduction IV.3.F.a.
5. Latyshev rightly observed that the name, and possibly the date of death, had chipped off.
Terminus ante quem for our monument is the end of the XIVth century, the construction date for the wall into which it was built. Alpha with slanting crossbar suggests a date after the IXth century (contrary to the date proposed in my original publication, where this lettershape had not been taken into consideration).
Images
© 2015 Andrey Vinogradov (edition), Irene Polinskaya (translation)
You may download this inscription in EpiDoc XML. (This file should validate to the EpiDoc schema.)