Evidence ID
E01389Saint Name
Sergios, martyr in Syria, ob. 303-311 : S00023
Bakchos, martyr in Barbalissos (Syria), ob. c. 303-311 : S00079Saint Name in Source
Σέργιος
ΒάχχοςType of Evidence
Inscriptions - Formal inscriptions (stone, mosaic, etc.)Evidence not before
450Evidence not after
1300Activity not before
450Activity not after
1300Place of Evidence - Region
Aegean islands and Cyprus
Aegean islands and CyprusPlace of Evidence - City, village, etc
Crete
Katevati/IstronPlace of evidence - City name in other Language(s)
Crete
Salamis
Σαλαμίς
Salamis
Salamis
Farmagusta
Far
Κωνσταντία
Konstantia
Constantia
Katevati/Istron
Salamis
Σαλαμίς
Salamis
Salamis
Farmagusta
Far
Κωνσταντία
Konstantia
ConstantiaCult activities - Places
Cult building - independent (church)Cult activities - Non Liturgical Practices and Customs
Prayer/supplication/invocationSource
A fragmentary marble slab. First recorded by Stephanos Xanthoudides in Katevati/Istron, and published by him in 1903.Discussion
This fragmentary inscription offers us just the names of two martyrs, Sergios and Bakchos, in the genitive case. It is disputable, if the names were preceded by the title τῶν ἁγίων/'of saints' (argued by the editors of the Packard Humanities Institute database) or μαρτύρων/'of martyrs' (argued by former editors). We can add that another fixed set of epithets could be used here: [- - - τῶν ἁγίων καὶ ἐνδόξων μαρτύρ]ων Σεργίου καὶ Βάχχου/'[- - - of the holy and glorious martyrs] Sergios and Bakchos', as it is very frequent in late antique inscriptions. The fact that both saints occur together is significant, as in inscriptions Sergios was usually venerated alone and Bakchos was hardly ever mentioned.
Xanthoudides and Gerola dated the inscription to the mid-6th c. and believed that it was made after the construction of the church dedicated to these saints in Constantinople, in the palace of Hormisdas, by Justinian in c. 527-533 (see: EXXXXX), an event, they say, which gave a boost to the cult of these two figures. However, François Halkin reasonably notes that the cult of at least Sergios alone was very popular in the Near East even before Justinian's foundation.Bibliography
Edition:
The Packard Humanties Institute database: PH201463.
Gerola, G., Monumenti veneti nell'isola di Creta, vol. 4 (Venice 1932), 580.
Xanthoudides, S., “Χριστιανικαί επιγραφαί Κρήτης”, Ἀθηνᾶ 15 (1903), 76-77.
Further reading:
Halkin, F., "L'Egypte, Chypre, la Crète et les autres îles grecques. La Grèce continentale et les pays balkaniques. L'Italie et la Sycylie", Analecta Bollandiana 70 (1952), 119-120.
