Greek ownership inscription on a silver chalice, for a church of *Konon (one of the several homonymous martyrs of Anatolia). Find-spot unknown, perhaps Paonala or Paunalla (Pamphylia, southern Asia Minor). Probably 7th c.
Evidence ID
E00868
Type of Evidence
Inscriptions - Inscribed objects
Images and objects - Other portable objects (metalwork, ivory, etc.)
Inscription on a silver chalice:
κιμίλιον τοῦ ἁγίου Κόνωνος Παοναλω(ν)
'The treasury (of the church) of Saint Konon (of the village) of Paonala.'
Text: R. Kahsnitz in: Baumstark 1998, no. 15.
Cult PlacesPrecious material objects
Cult building - independent (church)
Cult Related ObjectsPrecious material objects
Chalices, censers and other liturgical vessels
Source
A silver chalice kept in the Bayerisches Nationalmuseum in Munich (acquired in 1966 on the German antiquities market). The inscription runs along the rim on a band framed by two double strokes.Discussion
The form of the toponym Paonala is apparently neuter, plural, hence the genitive Παοναλων. The location of the 'village Paonala' remains unknown – maybe it is Paunalla near Ariassos (Pamphylia, southern Asia Minor), which is attested by an inscription published in: Robert 1937, p. 378, no. 5: τόπῳ Παυνάλλοις. However, the editors of Tabula Imperii Byzantini discuss two different places bearing this name (see TIB 8/2, pp. 779, 789), so even if the identification of Paonala with Paunalla is correct, the exact find-spot cannot be determined.There are three Anatolian saints, who bore the name Konon, and we don't know which one is referred to. *Konon, martyr of Isauria (south-eastern Asia Minor) was said to have lived in the times of the Apostles (1st/2nd c.). He enjoyed the special protection of *Michael the Archangel and led a life of holiness. He was credited with working many miracles. *Konon of Magydos (Pamphylia, southern Asia Minor) was a gardener and martyr under the emperor Decius. It is claimed that he came from Nazareth and was a relative of Christ (if this declaration is to be taken literally, and not as a metaphor for the Christian religion, creating a bond between the followers and the Saviour). *Konon, martyr of Iconium (Lycaonia, central Asia Minor) died under the emperor Aurelian (270-275).
Dating is based on the style of the vessel.
Bibliography
Edition:Kahsnitz, R., in: Baumstark, R., Rom und Byzanz. Schatzkammerstücke aus bayerischen Sammlungen (Munich: Hirmer : Bayerisches Nationalmuseum, 1998), no. 15.
Further reading:
Destephen, S., "Martyrs locaux et cultes civiques en Asie Mineure", in: J.C. Caillet, S. Destephen, B. Dumézil, H. Inglebert, Des dieux civiques aux saints patrons (IVe-VIIe siècle) (Paris: éditions A. & J. Picard, 2015), p. 91.
For the city of Paunalla, see:
Robert, L., Études Anatoliennes. Recherches sur les inscriptions grecques de l'Asie-Mineure (Etudes orientales 5, Paris: E. de Boccard, 1937), 378, no. 5.
Tabula Imperii Byzantini 8/2, pp. 779, 789.
Reference works:
Chroniques d'épigraphie byzantine, 1091.
Supplementum Epigraphicum Graecum 57, 2061.
Record Created By
Pawel Nowakowski
Date of Entry
20/11/2015
| ID | Name | Name in Source | Identity | S00177 | Konon, gardener and martyr of Magydos of Pamphylia | Κόνων | Uncertain | S00429 | Konon, martyr of Iconium | Κόνων | Uncertain | S00430 | Konon, martyr of Isauria | Κόνων | Uncertain |
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Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL:
Pawel Nowakowski, Cult of Saints, E00868 - http://csla.history.ox.ac.uk/record.php?recid=E00868