Greek dedicatory inscription on a golden leaf, probably from a reliquary, commemorating an offering to God and 'saint Symeonios' (probably *Symeon the Younger, stylite near Antioch, ob. 592, S00860). Exact provenance unknown, probably central Syria. Probably late 6th-7th c.
E01679
Inscriptions - Inscribed objects
Archaeological and architectural - Extant reliquaries and related fixtures
Images and objects - Other portable objects (metalwork, ivory, etc.)
A silver or golden leaf (lamella) with edges framed by a garland. Decorated with a depiction of a stylite on a column, attacked by a serpent, and a dedicatory inscription. Now in the Louvre Museum. Probably once fixed on a side of a reliquary. H. max. 0.296 m; W. max. 0.255 m. Dimensions of the inscribed field: H. 0.04 m; W. 0.214 m; letter height 0.007 m.
First published by Jean Lassus in 1960. Provenance: central Syria. The object appeared in the antiquities market after the discovery of the so-called second Byzantine silver treasure from Ḥamāh/Amathe/Epiphaneia, see: Ross 1950, 162-163.
Inscription:
[ε]ὐχαριστῶν τῷ θ(ε)ῷ καὶ τῷ ἁγίῳ
[Σ]υμεωνίῳ προσήνεγκα
'Giving thanks to God and to Saint Symeonios I brought this offering.'
Text: Lassus 1960, 162-163.
Prayer/supplication/invocation
Bequests, donations, gifts and offerings
Saint as patron - of an individual
Vow
RelicsReliquary – institutionally owned
Cult Related ObjectsEx-votos
Precious material objects
Discussion
Jean Lassus suggests that the saint, depicted here, is Symeon Stylites the Younger. The name Symeonios, which occurs in the inscription instead of Symeon, might have been used as a diminutive, to distinguish the stylite from his earlier namesake, Symeon Stylites the Elder.Dating: the object has been stylistically dated to the late 6th or 7th c. If it commemorates the younger Symeon, it almost certainly postdates his death in 592.
Bibliography
Edition:Lassus, J., “Une image de saint Syméon le Jeune sur un fragment de reliquaire syrien du Musée du Louvre”, Monuments et mémoires de la Fondation Eugène Piot 51 (1960), 129-150.
Further reading:
Ross, M.C., "A second Byzantine treasure from Hamah", Archaeology 3/3 (1950), 162-163.
Reference works:
Bulletin épigraphique (1961), 770.
Images
)
Lassus 1960, 132.
image
Paweł Nowakowski
29/06/2016
| ID | Name | Name in Source | Identity | S00860 | Symeon the Younger, stylite near Antioch, ob. 592. | Συμεώνιος | Uncertain |
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Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL:
Paweł Nowakowski, Cult of Saints, E01679 - http://csla.history.ox.ac.uk/record.php?recid=E01679