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E00899: Greek building inscription, probably of a church or a monastery, built 'through' (διά) *Michael the Archangel (S00181). Found at Kidyessos (Phrygia, west central Asia Minor). Probably 6th c.

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posted on 2015-11-26, 00:00 authored by pnowakowski
θεοῦ προ-
νύᾳ διὰ τοῦ
ἀρχανγέλου
4 Μιχαὴ\λ/ ἐγένετο τὸ
ἔργον ἐπὶ Ὑσυχίου εὐλ(αβεστάτου) [.]
[. .]Ημένῳ, μηνὶ πρώτ(ῳ), ἐνδι(κτιῶνος) αι΄·
[ὑ]περὶ εὐχῆς Τροφίμου ̣ΤΡΟ[- -]
8 [- -]υ κὲ παντὸς τοῦ ὔκο̣υ [- -]
[- - -] εὐλογία πάσῃ τ[- -]
[- - -] ἀμήν· vacat
[- - -]̣ια μαΐστορι Ζω[- -]
12 [- - -]ν vacat

1-2. προ|νύᾳ = προ|νοίᾳ || 5. Ὑσυχίου = Ἡσυχίου || 5-6. [.]|[..]Ημένῳ = [ἡγ]|[ου]μένῳ (?) MAMA || 6. ἐνδι(κτιῶνος) = ἰνδι(κτιῶνος) || 8. ὔκου = οἴκου || perhaps παντὸς τοῦ ὔκο̣υ [αὐτοῦ or αὐτῶν] || 9. πάσῃ τ[- -] = πάσῃ τ[ῇ οἰκουμένῃ or πόλει (?)]

'Thanks to divine foresight, through the Archangel Michael, this work was completed when the most pious Hesychios was [- - -], in the first month, 11th indiction [- - -] As a fulfilment of the vow of Trophimos [- - -] and all his house [- - -] A blessing on the whole [- - -] Amen. [- - -] for the master-craftsman Zo[- - -].'

Text: MAMA XI, no. 167. Translation by the editors of MAMA XI, lightly modified.

History

Evidence ID

E00899

Saint Name

Archangels (unspecified) : S00191

Saint Name in Source

ἀρχάνγελος

Type of Evidence

Inscriptions - Formal inscriptions (stone, mosaic, etc.)

Language

  • Greek

Evidence not before

500

Evidence not after

600

Activity not before

500

Activity not after

600

Place of Evidence - Region

Asia Minor

Place of Evidence - City, village, etc

Kidyessos

Place of evidence - City name in other Language(s)

Kidyessos Nicomedia Νικομήδεια Nikomēdeia Izmit Πραίνετος Prainetos Nicomedia

Cult activities - Places

Cult building - independent (church)

Cult activities - Non Liturgical Practices and Customs

Vow

Cult Activities - Miracles

Saint aiding or preventing the construction of a cult building

Cult Activities - Protagonists in Cult and Narratives

Ecclesiastics - abbots Other lay individuals/ people Merchants and artisans

Source

A sandstone block reused in the wall of a mosque in Çobanözü, near ancient Kidyessos (Phrygia, central Asia Minor). Preserved dimensions: H. 0.96 m; W. 0.86 m. Letter height 0.035-0.055 m.

Discussion

The inscription commemorates the construction of an unnamed building, probably a church or a monastery (if a higoumenos is really mentioned as a supervisor in lines 5-6). Interestingly, the author of the inscription says that the building was completed not only thanks to the divine foresight, but also with the help of the archangel Michael, which may mean that the presumed church or the monastery was dedicated to Michael. The function of Hesychios, supervisor of the building, is unclear. The best restoration of the word that denotes it would certainly be [ἡγ|ου]μένῳ (leader of the monastery) but the editors of Monumenta Asiae Minoris Antiqua note that this is hardly reconcilable with the letter H, apparent before M. In line 7 we find a reference to a certain Trophimos and his household, probably a lay contributor to the building. The inscription ends with a blessing, probably for a city or the whole Earth (εὐλογία πάσῃ τ[ῇ οἰκουμένῃ or πόλει]) and a master-craftsman is mentioned in one of the last lines. Dating: 6th c., based on the contents and the lettering. The inscription is dated by the calendar of the province of Asia, but the date is not convertible. Its first month, mentioned in line 6, is Dios which is also the first month of the indiction year.

Bibliography

Edition: Monumenta Asiae Minoris Antiqua XI, no. 167. http://mama.csad.ox.ac.uk/monuments/MAMA-XI-167.html Inscriptiones Christianae Graecae database, no. 1463: http://www.epigraph.topoi.org/ica/icamainapp/inscription/show/1463

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    Evidence -  The Cult of Saints in Late Antiquity

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