Two clay bread stamps bearing an image and Greek inscription of *Phokas (martyr of Sinope, S00052) and mentioning a charity house (ptocheion) dedicated to him at Cherson (north Black Sea). Found during archaeological excavations at Chersonnesus/Cherson; 6th century.
Evidence ID
E07064
Type of Evidence
Inscriptions - Inscribed objects
Images and objects - Lamps, ampullae and tokens
The stamps, which are different in detail but made to an identical design, depict the saint as a bearded (?) man with halo, wearing a short tunic with broad girdle, and a cloak hanging from one shoulder. The saint is raising his hands in the orant position. He stands on a boat with two oars, and next to him there is an anchor. The scene is surrounded by the following inscription, which is written in standard script, not mirror writing (as one would expect in a stamp):
+ Εὐλογία τοῦ ἁγίου Φωκᾶ τοῦ πτωχίου Χερσονος
'Blessing of Saint Phokas of the poorhouse of Cherson'
Diameter: 9.7, 9.8 cm
Activities accompanying Cult
Production and selling of eulogiai, tokens
Places Named after SaintHospital and other charitable institutions
Use of ImagesCommissioning/producing an image
Discussion
The pieces were found in 1896 and 1963, in the south-eastern area on Cherson, in front of the ‘Church with Arcosolia.’They attest to the existence in the city of a charitable establishment (ptocheion) dedicated to the popular martyr of Pontus. This strongly suggests that the other stamps from Cherson (E07065, E07066) belonged to local shrines as well.
These stamps preserve the only surviving images of Phokas from Late Antiquity. The saint is accompanied by attributes which identify him as a patron of sailors, which is well attested in his hagiography. His dress denotes him as a layman, possibly a sailor or labourer (he is defined as a gardener in his legend), and indicates that he was not identified as a bishop – unlike in some of his hagiography.
Bibliography
Yashaeva, T., The Legacy of Byzantine Cherson (Sevastopol-Austin, 2011), Cat. Nrs. 371-372.Images
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Picture from Yashaeva 2011, Cat. Nr 371
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Picture from Yashaeva 2011, Cat. Nr. 372
Record Created By
Efthymios Rizos
Date of Entry
06/11/2018
| ID | Name | Name in Source | Identity | S00052 | Phokas, martyr of Sinope | Φωκᾶς | Certain |
|---|
Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL:
Efthymios Rizos, Cult of Saints, E07064 - http://csla.history.ox.ac.uk/record.php?recid=E07064