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The Cult of Saints in Late Antiquity


from its origins to circa AD 700, across the entire Christian world


Greek inscription labelling a tomb owned by a house of ascetics (asketerion) of *Mary (Mother of Christ, S00033) venerated as the God-Bearer. Found at Anazarbos (Cilicia, south-east Asia Minor). Probably 6th c. or later.

Evidence ID

E01078

Type of Evidence

Inscriptions - Funerary inscriptions

On a wall in a small niche in the rock-face:

+ μνῆμα διαφέρον
τοῦ ἀσκιτηρίου τῖς Θεο-
τόκου· ἔχι τὸ ἀνάθεμα,
ἴ τις δίχα τõν κυρίον
ἀνύγι αὐτό +

'+ Tomb belonging to the house of ascetics (
askiterion) of the God-Bearer. May everyone who opens it, without the consent of the owners, be cursed. +'

Text:
I. Anazarbos, no. 646.

Cult Places

Cult building - monastic

Places Named after Saint

Monastery

Source

Engraved on a wall in a 5 m deep and 2 m wide niche in the rock-face over the theatre at Anazabra. Seen and copied by Adolf Wilhelm in the spring of 1891.

Discussion

The inscription labels a tomb owned by a house of ascetics (asketerion) of Mary, venerated here as the God-Bearer.

Dating: 6th c. or later (based on the style of lettering, the spelling and syntax).


Bibliography

Edition:
Die Inschriften von Anazarbos und Umgebung, no. 646.

Heberdey, R., Wilhelm, A., Kiepert H.,
Reisen in Kilikien (Denkschriften der Kaiserlichen Akademie der Wissenschaften. Philosophisch-historische Classe, Bd. 44, Abh. 6, Vienna: In Commission bei C. Gerold's Sohn, 1896), no. 93.

Further reading:
Mietke, G., "Monumentalisierung christilcher Heiliger in Kilikien in frühbyzantinischer Zeit", Olba 17 (2009), 120.


Record Created By

Pawel Nowakowski

Date of Entry

13/01/2016

Related Saint Records
IDNameName in SourceIdentity
S00033Mary, Mother of ChristΘεοτόκοςCertain


Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL:
Pawel Nowakowski, Cult of Saints, E01078 - http://csla.history.ox.ac.uk/record.php?recid=E01078