E00865: Multiple fragments of a Greek dedicatory inscription, probably commemorating the consecration of a church of the Apostles: Peter (S00036), possibly Paul (S00008), Andrew (S00288), probably Philip (S00109), probably Thomas (S00199), John (S00042); others are perhaps also named. Found at Side (Pamphylia, southern Asia Minor). Probably mid-6th c.

online resource

posted on 2015-11-20, 00:00 authored by pnowakowski

+ ἐ[νε]κενίσ[θη ὁ ἅγιος ο]ἶκος οὗ̣τ[ος] ἐπ[ὶ Κό]̣νωνο[ς τοῦ ἁγιω]τάτου κα[ὶ εὐ]̣λαβ̣ε[στάτου ἀρχ]ιεπισκό[που] ἡμῶν ἰ̣ν[δικτιῶνος . . σπουδῇ καὶ προνοίᾳ] τῶν λιν[ουργῶν - - - εἰς τιμὴν τῶν] ἁγίων κ̣α[ὶ ἐνδόξων] ἀποστό[λων] Πέτρου, [Παύλου, Ἀν]δρέου, Φ[ιλίππου,] ̣Θ[ωμᾶ, - - - - - Ἰωά]ννου [- - - - -] ]το[ 2-3. + ἐ[πὶ τοῦ ἁγιωτάτου καὶ - - - ἀρχι]|επ[ισκόπου Nollé || 4. ἰ̣ν[δικτιῶνι Nollé Feissel '+ This [holy] house (i.e church) was consecrated under our most holy and most reverent archbishop Konon in the [. .] indiction, [by the zeal and under the supervision] of the linen [weavers, for the glory of the] holy and [glorious] Apostles: Peter, [Paul], Andrew, Philip, Thomas, [- - - John - - -].' Text: I. Side, no. 183, the fragments were set in this order, with hypothetical completions, by Denis Feissel in CEByz, 359.

History

Evidence ID

E00865

Saint Name

Peter the Apostle : S00036 Paul, the Apostle : S00008 Andrew, the Apostle : S00288 Philip the Apostle, ob. 1st c. : S00109 Thomas, the Apostle : S00199 John the Evangelist : S00042 Apostles (unspecified) : S00084

Saint Name in Source

Πέτρος [Παῦλος] [Ἀν]δρέας Φ[ίλιππος] Θ[ωμᾶς] [Ἰωά]ννης

Related Saint Records

Type of Evidence

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

Language

Greek

Evidence not before

520

Evidence not after

540

Activity not before

520

Activity not after

540

Place of Evidence - Region

Asia Minor

Place of Evidence - City, village, etc

Side

Place of evidence - City name in other Language(s)

Side Nicomedia Νικομήδεια Nikomēdeia Izmit Πραίνετος Prainetos Nicomedia

Cult activities - Liturgical Activity

Ceremony of dedication

Cult activities - Places

Cult building - independent (church)

Cult activities - Non Liturgical Practices and Customs

Cultic confraternities

Cult Activities - Protagonists in Cult and Narratives

Ecclesiastics - bishops Merchants and artisans

Source

Multiple fragments of a white marble plaque, found in Side (Pamphylia, western Asia Minor) near the harbour, in the great basilica that was constructed over the former temples of Apollo and Artemis. Th. 0.03-0.04 m.

Discussion

The inscription commemorated the consecration of a church, but the poor state of preservation makes it hard to draw conclusions regarding its holy patrons. The first two editors of the inscription (George Bean and Johannes Nollé) did not even attempt to arrange the surviving fragments and reconstruct a continuous text. This was hypothetically done by Denis Feissel. He supposes that at least six of the Apostles were mentioned as patrons, in the following order: *Peter, probably *Paul, *Andrew, probably *Philip, probably *Thomas, and *John. One must, however, remember that the names of Philip and Thomas were reconstructed, based on only one letter and the name of Paul is inserted in the lacuna in line 7 only because he often appears next to Peter. Feissel supposes that lines 4-5 contained a reference to the founder of the church, presumably a guild of linen weavers. This hypothesis is plausible if we accept that the letters ΤΩΝ, at the beginning of l. 5, form a single word, the article τῶν, and the remaining letters, ΛΙΝ, belong to a new word. In that case a plural noun must follow the article and almost all Greek words that begin with λιν- are derivatives of “flax, linen” (λίνον), e.g. λινουργοί, λίνυφοι, λινέμποροι, etc. One can only wonder, whether the phrase τῶν λινουργῶν was preceded by a designation of the guild, e.g. συντεχνία, συνεργασία, etc. We cannot answer, whether this guild was specially devoted to the cult of the Apostles, as they were considered as very powerful saints, and therefore were often chosen for patrons of sanctuaries. Dating: perhaps c. 530s. This tentative dating is based on the identity of the bishop who supervised the construction of the sanctuary. His name is mentioned in line 2, but is partially damaged. One can reconstruct it is as, for example, Konon, Memnon or Zenon. A bishop Konon of Side is known to have participated in the Council of Constantinople in 536 (see PCBE 3, Konon 11). If he is the person mentioned, which seems likely, this would provide an approximate date for our inscription.

Bibliography

Edition: Side im Altertum, no. 183 (fragments arranged by Denis Feissel in Chroniques d'épigraphie byzantine, 359). Bean, G.E. (ed.), Side kitabeleri =The Inscriptions of Side (Ankara: Türk Tarih Kurumu Basımev, 1965), no. 156. Further reading: Destephen, S., Prosopographie du Diocese d'Asie (325-641) (Prosopographie chrétienne du Bas-Empire 3, Paris: Association des amis du centre d'histoire et civilisation de Byzance, 2008), Konon 11.