Record | The Cult of Saints

Fragmentary Greek inscription with the names of Sergios (soldier and martyr of Rusafa, S00023), and Bakchos (soldier and martyr of Barbalissos, S00079). Found in Katevati/Istron, on the coast of the Mirampelou/Mirabello Bay (Crete). Probably late antique.

Evidence ID

E01389

Type of Evidence

Inscriptions - Formal inscriptions (stone, mosaic, etc.)

[- - - τῶν ἁγί]ων Σεργίου καὶ Βάχχου

[- - - τῶν ἁγί]ων PHI database, [- - -μαρτύρ]ων Halkin Gerola Xanthoudides

'[- - - of the] saints Sergios and Bakchos'

Text: PHI database, PH201463.

Cult Places

Cult building - independent (church)

Non Liturgical Activity

Prayer/supplication/invocation

Source

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.

Record Created By

Paweł Nowakowski

Date of Entry

20/05/2016

Related Saint Records

ID	Name	Name in Source	Identity
S00023	Sergios, soldier and martyr of Rusafa	Σέργιος	Certain
S00079	Bakchos, soldier and martyr of Barbalissos	Βάχχος	Certain

Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL:
Paweł Nowakowski, Cult of Saints, E01389 - http://csla.history.ox.ac.uk/record.php?recid=E01389

The Cult of Saints in Late Antiquity

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

Fragmentary Greek inscription with the names of Sergios (soldier and martyr of Rusafa, S00023), and Bakchos (soldier and martyr of Barbalissos, S00079). Found in Katevati/Istron, on the coast of the Mirampelou/Mirabello Bay (Crete). Probably late antique.

E01389

Inscriptions - Formal inscriptions (stone, mosaic, etc.)

Cult building - independent (church)

Prayer/supplication/invocation

Source

Discussion

Bibliography

Paweł Nowakowski

20/05/2016

Fragmentary Greek inscription with the names of *Sergios (soldier and martyr of Rusafa, S00023), and *Bakchos (soldier and martyr of Barbalissos, S00079). Found in Katevati/Istron, on the coast of the Mirampelou/Mirabello Bay (Crete). Probably late antique.

E01389

Inscriptions - Formal inscriptions (stone, mosaic, etc.)

Cult building - independent (church)

Prayer/supplication/invocation

Source

Discussion

Bibliography

Paweł Nowakowski

20/05/2016

Fragmentary Greek inscription with the names of Sergios (soldier and martyr of Rusafa, S00023), and Bakchos (soldier and martyr of Barbalissos, S00079). Found in Katevati/Istron, on the coast of the Mirampelou/Mirabello Bay (Crete). Probably late antique.