Inscription with prayer in Greek, from a church in Kasossos near Mylasa (Caria, western Asia Minor). Refers to saints and other holy figures: *Abraham (Old Testament patriarch, S00275), *Jacob (Old Testament patriarch, S00280), *Moses (Old Testament prophet and lawgiver, S00241), *Elijah (Old Testament prophet, S00217), *Elisha (Old Testament prophet, S00239), the Apostles *Peter (S00036) and *Paul (S00008), other unnamed Apostles (S00084), unnamed Confessors (S00184), *George (soldier and martyr, S00259), *Stephen (the First Martyr, S00030), and a virgin *Eirene (possibly the martyr of Magedon, S02162). Probably late antique (6th/8th c.) or later.
E00720
Inscriptions - Formal inscriptions (stone, mosaic, etc.)
Liturgical texts - Other
]ΥΔ[.].ΟΥΛ[
[καθὼς τὰς δεήσεις εἰσ]ήκουσας Ἀβ<ρ>αὰ[μ]
[καὶ] Ἰακὼφ Μωϋσῆ κὲ
[ἔ]δωκας χάριν κὲ δύνα-
[μιν] κατὰ τῶν μισού(ν)των αὐτὸν,
ἤκουσας Ἠλία κ(αὶ) Ἐλισ(έ)ου κὲ ὡς
[ ἤκ]ουσας Πέτρου κὲ Παύλου
κὲ πάντων τῶν [μ]α[θ]η[τῶ]ν σου κὲ τ[ῶν ὁσίων]
[πατέρ]ων ἡμῶν τῶν ὁ[μ]ολ[ογ]η[τῶν τοῦ λ]ό[γ]ου σου
[οἷς] καθὰ ὑπέσχους ἐχαρίσου α[ἰώνινον? ζ]ο[ήν·]
[ὡς ἤκουσας Γ]εωργ[ίου] τοῦ με[γ]α[λομά]ρ[τυρος]·
[ὡς? ἤκ]ου[σας] Στεφ[ά]ν[ου το]ῦ π<ρ>οτωμά[ρτυρος]
[κὲ π]άντων [ἁγί]ων σου κ(αὶ) Εἰρήν[η]ς τῆ[ς] ἐ[νδ]ό[ξ]ου
[π]αρθένου· [ὡ]ς τούτων ἁπάντων Χ(ριστ)ὲ Ἰ(ησο)ῦ [ἐφάνης]
[βο]ή[θ]ει[α] κὲ προστασία, ὁ φέρων τὸ φῶς [εἰς]
τὸν κόσμον, ὁ εὐλογίσας τὸν καρπὸν τοῦ [ἀγροῦ]
κὲ πλ[ηθ]ύν[ας] οὕτως ἀ[εν]ά[ως καὶ παν]ταχοῦ τὸ ἔλε-
ός σου, κὲ μνησθῆνε καταξίωσων πά(ν)των σὲ φο-
βουμένων κὲ ποιούντων [τὸ θέλημ]α [σου]
κὲ ἤ τις ΚΑΤΑΡΑΜ[ δεηθ]ῇ τῆς σῆς βοηθία<ς> κ(ύρι)ε ω (?)
κὲ τῶν σῶν [οἰ]κτιρμῶν, δέσποτα ἐ[ν] τῷ τόπῳ τού[τῳ]
ποίησον μετ' αὐτοῦ{σ} σημῖον ἰσς ἀγαθὸν κὲ ὃ ἄν σε
ἐτήσῃ, παραλαβέτω (?), Χ(ριστ)έ,
[ἐ]λεήμων [γ]ὰ[ρ] ὑ[π]άρχις
1. 1. perhaps ἐπάκουσον, κ(ύριε) ὁ θ(εὸ)ς, το]ῦ δούλ[ου σου Rizos || 8. τ[ῶν ἁγίων] (?) Grégoire Blümel || 10. ὑπέσχου<ς> Grégoire, ὑπέσχους drawing || 12. π]άντων [μαρτύρ]ων (?) || 22. αὐτοὺς Grégoire Blümel || 23. ἐτήσῃ = αἰτήσῃ
'(Hear your servant, oh Lord God, as) you heard Abraham, (Isaac), Jacob, Moses, and you granted grace and power against those who hated him; you heard Elijah and Elisha and heard Peter and Paul and all your disciples, and our (holy) fathers the confessors of your word, (whom) you granted (life everlasting) as you had promised; (as you heard) George the great martyr; (as you heard) Stephen the first martyr and all your saints, and Eirene the glorious virgin; and as you (appeared) to be the help and protection of them all, Jesus Christ, you who brings the light to the world, who blessed the fruit of the (field) and thus multiplied your mercy eternally and in every place, vouchsafe to remember all those who fear you and do your will, and, should anyone (- - - pray) at this place for your help and thy mercy, o Lord, grant him a propitious sign, and let him receive (?) whatever he may ask of you, o Christ, for you are merciful.'
Text: I. Mylasa, no. 946. Translation: E. Rizos, P. Nowakowski.
Liturgical invocation
Non Liturgical ActivityPrayer/supplication/invocation
Source
A grey limestone slab: H. 0.79 m; W. 0.35 m; Th. 0.4 m. It was found near a Byzantine church in Kasossos (near Mylasa) in Caria. Henri Grégoire erroneously ascribed the find-spot to the area of Arykanda and Olympos in Lycia. For the correct identification of the place, see Robert 1955, 232, n. 1.Discussion
The prayer begins with recalling several holy figures. They are mentioned in the chronological order: first the patriarchs, then Old Testament prophets, the Apostles, confessors, and martyrs. In the second part of the prayer God is asked to help every single Christian the same way he helped the named saints and holy men.Lines 17-19 are loosely based on the Gospel of John 9:31: οἴδαμεν ὅτι ὁ θεὸς ἁμαρτωλῶν οὐκ ἀκούει, ἀλλ’ ἐάν τις θεοσεβὴς ᾖ καὶ τὸ θέλημα αὐτοῦ ποιῇ, τούτου ἀκούει/'Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth'.
Line 22 is a citation of Psalm 86(85) 17: ποίησον μετ ἐμοῦ σημεῖον εἰς ἀγαθόν/'Shew me a token for good'.
Bibliography
Edition:Die Inschriften von Mylasa, no. 946
Grégoire, H. (ed.), Recueil des inscriptions grecques chrétiennes d'Asie Mineure, vol. 1 (Paris: Leroux, 1922), no. 282(3).
Further Reading:
Halkin, F., "Inscriptions grecques relatives à l'hagiographie, IX, Asie Mineure", Analecta Bollandiana 71 (1953), 86
Robert, L., Hellenica. Recueil d'épigraphie, de numismatique et d'antiquités grecques, vol. 10: Dédicaces et reliefs votifs. Villes, cultes, monnaies et inscriptions de Lycie et de Carie. Inscriptions et topographie. Inscriptions de Phocée et des Dardanelles. Péripolarques. Monnaie de Thibron (Paris: La librairie d'Amérique et d'Orient Adrien Maisonneuve, 1955), 232, n. 1.
Pawel Nowakowski
18/09/2015
| ID | Name | Name in Source | Identity | S00008 | Paul, the Apostle | Παῦλος | Certain | S00030 | Stephen, the First Martyr | Στέφανος | Certain | S00036 | Peter, the Apostle | Πέτρος | Certain | S00084 | Apostles, unnamed or name lost | μαθηταί | Certain | S00184 | Confessors, unnamed or name lost | ὁμολογηταί | Certain | S00217 | Elijah/Elias, Old Testament prophet | Ἠλίας | Certain | S00239 | Elisha, Old Testament prophet | Ἐλισέος | Certain | S00241 | Moses, Old Testament prophet and lawgiver | Μωϋσῆς | Certain | S00259 | George, soldier and martyr, and Companions | Γεώργιος | Certain | S00275 | Abraham, Old Testament patriarch | Ἀβραάμ | Certain | S00280 | Jacob, Old Testament patriarch | Ἰακώφ | Certain | S01151 | All Saints | πάντες ἅγιοι | Certain | S02162 | Eirene, martyr of Magedon | Εἰρήνη | Certain |
|---|
Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL:
Pawel Nowakowski, Cult of Saints, E00720 - http://csla.history.ox.ac.uk/record.php?recid=E00720