V 303. Pantikapaion. Epitaph Of Photis, IV-Vth century C.E.
Monument
Type
Cross (?).
Material
Limestone.
Additional description
The top is diamond-shaped; on the front - three small crosses. Fully preserved.
Place of Origin
Pantikapaion.
Find place
Kerch (?).
Find context
Unknown.
Find circumstances
Before 1913.
Modern location
Unknown.
Institution and inventory
Unknown.
Autopsy
Non vidi.
Epigraphic field
Position
Between the crosses.
Lettering
Lapidary. Triangular sigma, elongated phi, rectangular omega.
Text
Category
Epitaph.
Date
IV-Vth century C.E.
Dating criteria
Type of gravestone.
Editions
L1. Marti 1913, 72, № 170; 1.1. Diatroptov, Yemets 1995, № 40.
<div type="edition" xml:lang="grc">
<ab>
<lb n="1"/><g ref="#stauros"/>
<lb n="2"/><g ref="#stauros"/>Φωτί<lb n="3" break="no"/>δος.
<lb n="4"/><g ref="#stauros"/>
</ab>
</div> Translation
Of Photis.
Commentary
The inscription was published without a photograph, which is preserved at the Photo Archive of the Institute for History of Material Culture, Russian Academy of Sciences (О.90.3).
The name Photis, unknown in the Northern Black Sea region, is, at first glance, a typical Christian nickname ("bright," "full of light"): indeed, it is associated with a martyress (see Delehaye 1902, 549). It is not attested in Christian epigraphy, however, while in classical antiquity it is attested 4 times, of which three are in Asia Minor: MAMA VI 314; VIII 354; I.Eph. 2490 (and once in Egypt, as a cognomen BGU 240). It is possible that Photis of our inscription also came from Asia Minor.
Images
© 2015 Andrey Vinogradov (edition), Irene Polinskaya (translation)
You may download this inscription in EpiDoc XML. (This file should validate to the EpiDoc schema.)