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The Cult of Saints in Late Antiquity


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


Latin inscription with reference to relics of *Stephen (the First Martyr, S00030); also a second fragmentary inscription with reference to a martyr or martyrs. Both found in the episcopal complex of Bulla Regia (Proconsularis, central North Africa), 5th/7th c.

Evidence ID

E08160

Type of Evidence

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

Hic reli-
quiae s(an)c(t)i
Stephan[i]

'Here [are] relics of the holy Stephen'


Text: Duval 1982, no. 43.
Translation: Stanisław Adamiak.

Relics

Unspecified relic

Source

Fragment of a small marble plaque (24 x 20 cm), broken on the right side, found in 1954 in the episcopal complex of Bulla Regia..

The date of the inscription is uncertain, but it must postdate the arrival of relics of Stephen in Africa in 416.

Duval also publishes a fragmentary second inscription from the same complex, with very different letter-forms, with a clear reference to a martyr (or martyrs), and perhaps (if the surviving word in the first line is correctly reconstructed as 'Hic') also referring to relics.

The current location of both inscription was recorded by Duval as unknown.


Bibliography

Edition and commentary:
Duval, Y., Loca sanctorum Africae: Le culte des martyrs en Afrique du IVe au VIIe siècle (Rome: École Française de Rome, 1982), vol. 1, 94-95, no. 43.

Images



From Y. Duval 1982, no. 43




From Y. Duval 1982, no. 43




















Record Created By

Stanisław Adamiak

Date of Entry

05/08/2021

Related Saint Records
IDNameName in SourceIdentity
S00030Stephen, the First MartyrStephanusCertain


Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL:
Stanisław Adamiak, Cult of Saints, E08160 - http://csla.history.ox.ac.uk/record.php?recid=E08160