Greek inscription on a boundary stone of a church dedicated to *Mary (Mother of Christ, S00033), as the God-Bearer and Virgin. Found at Malaya near Kırşehir (close to ancient Paranassos, Cappadocia, central Asia Minor). Probably late 5th or 6th c.
Evidence ID
E01016
Type of Evidence
Inscriptions - Formal inscriptions (stone, mosaic, etc.)
ὅρυ τῆς ἁγί-
ας κὲ ἐνδό-
ξου Θεοτόκ-
ου κὲ παρθέ-
νου Μαρία-
ς π[α]ρασχεθ-
έντες παρὰ τ-
[οῦ] εὐσεβεσ-
[τάτου - - -]
'Boundaries (of the church) of the holy and glorious God-Bearer (Theotokos) and Virgin Mary, granted by the most pious [- - - ].'
Text and translation: French 2007, no. 13, lightly modified.
Cult PlacesSeeking asylum at church/shrine
Protagonists in Cult and Narratives
Cult building - independent (church)
Non Liturgical ActivitySeeking asylum at church/shrine
Awarding privileges to cult centres
Protagonists in Cult and NarrativesMonarchs and their family
Source
A grey marble stele, with rounded top and back, clearly a boundary stone. It was brought to the Kırşehir Museum from the Devlet Üretim Çiftliği (State Agricultural Farm) in Malaya (near Kırşehir, area of ancient Parnassos, Cappadocia, eastern Asia Minor) and inventoried in 1992 (inv. no. 6.2.92). The text is cut on a panel, below an encircled cross pattée. The lower part of the stone is broken and lost. Preserved dimensions: H. (front) 0.86 m; W. (at panel) 0.41 m; Th. (at bottom) 0.31 m; letter height 0.025-0.03 m. A squeeze and a photograph made by David French are kept at the British Institute at Ankara.Discussion
The inscription marked the boundaries of a church/monastery or estate belonging to a church/monastery dedicated to Mary as the God-Bearer (Theotokos).Dating: probably late 5th or 6th c. (because of its similarity to other boundary stones, authorised by emperors of this period).
Bibliography
Edition:French, D.H., "Inscriptions from Cappadocia, II", Epigraphica Anatolica 40 (2007), no. 13.
Reference works:
L'Année épigraphique (2007), 1561.
Bulletin épigraphique (2009), 645.
Supplementum Epigraphicum Graecum 57, 1717.
Record Created By
Pawel Nowakowski
Date of Entry
23/12/2015
| ID | Name | Name in Source | Identity | S00033 | Mary, Mother of Christ | Θεοτόκος, Μαρία | Certain |
|---|
Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL:
Pawel Nowakowski, Cult of Saints, E01016 - http://csla.history.ox.ac.uk/record.php?recid=E01016