V 86. Cherson. Epitaph (?)of –kios, XI–XIIth centuries C.E.

Monument

Type

Cross. 

Material

Limestone. 

Dimensions (cm)

H. 16.0, W. 15.0, Th. 8.0.

Additional description

Appears to be the top arm of a cross (?). The border on the front is decorated with an incised zigzag ornament. On the back there is a groove along the top edge. Broken on the right and bottom. 

Place of Origin

Cherson. 

Find place

Sevastopol (Chersonesos). 

Find context

Unknown. 

Find circumstances

Excavations of K.K. Kostsyushko-Valyuzhinich. 

Modern location

Sevastopol, Crimea. 

Institution and inventory

National Preserve of Tauric Chersonesos, 4316. 

Autopsy

May 1999, August 2001, September 2002, September 2003, September 2004, September 2005, September 2006, September 2007. 

Epigraphic field

Position

On the upper arm of the cross. 

Lettering

Lapidary style. Ornate mu and upsilon. 

Letterheights (cm)

1.7–2.3.

Text

Category

Epitaph (?). 

Date

XI–XIIth centuries C.E. 

Dating criteria

Palaeography. 

Editions

Unpublished. 

Edition

Κομυ[τήριον? ---]-
κίου [---]

Diplomatic

ΚΟΜΥ[......---]
ΚΙΟΥ[---]

EpiDoc (XML)

<div type="edition" xml:lang="grc">
   <ab>
      <lb n="1"/>Κομυ<supplied reason="lost" cert="low">τήριον</supplied> <gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character"/><lb n="2" break="no"/><seg part="F">κίου</seg> <gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character"/>
   </ab>
   </div>

Translation

Resting place of [...]kios...

 

Commentary

the information on the circumstances of find was taken from the inventory card of the National Preserve of Tauric Chersonesos.

1. It makes no sense in the context of the XI-XIIth century Cherson to restore the word comes. The only possible alternative is to restore the word κοιμητήριον - a form with a dropped iota is attested in IG VII 2182. This formula, which is otherwise widely attested in Christian epigraphy (210 examples, according to PHI7 Database) is unique in the Northern Black Sea area.

2. This line must be the ending of a second name or of a patronymic. All features point to a funerary monument, also considering the possibility that the shape was a cross.

 

Images

 Photograph of face (from ??)

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