E00784: Greek epitaph for the wife of a deacon of the church of *John the Apostle and Evangelist (S00042) in Ephesos. Found at the site of the church of *Mary (Mother of Christ, S00033) in Ephesos (western Asia Minor). Probably middle Byzantine.
'+ Georgia the servant of God and wife of M[- - - , de]acon (of the church) of the reverend Theologian, fell asleep in the [month of Sep]tember, on the 20th day, the 10th indiction.'
Cult Activities - Protagonists in Cult and Narratives
Women
Ecclesiastics - lesser clergy
Source
A grey marble plaque, broken into two pieces. Found close to the western arch in the southern part of the church of *Mary in Ephesos. Part A: H. 0.45 m; W. 0.4 m; Th. 0.065m. Part B: H. 0.36 m; W. 0.53 m; Th. 0.065 m. Revisited and photographed by Denis Feissel.
Discussion
The inscription gives us the epitaph of a deacon's wife. Though the deacon served in the church of *John the Evangelist, the epitaph was found at the site of the episcopal church of *Mary. The deceased is called the servant of God which suggests a date in the 6th or 7th c.
Dating: Denis Feissel (in a letter dated 17.05.2018) kindly pointed to us that the epitaph is surely of a middle Byzantine date. This is hinted by the phrase denoting the day of death (ἰς τὰ κ΄) given in the dating formula, and the lettering.
Bibliography
Edition:
Die Inschriften von Ephesοs, no. 4144.
Keil, J., Reisch, E., Knoll, F. (eds.), Forschungen in Ephesos, vol. 4/1: Die Marienkirche in Ephesos (Vienna: Selbstverlag des ÖAI Wien, 1932), no. 44.
Further Reading:
Halkin, F., "Inscriptions grecques relatives à l'hagiographie, IX, Asie Mineure", Analecta Bollandiana 71 (1953), 78.