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E01007: Greek epitaph for a chief presbyter of a church of *Platon (martyr of Ankyra, S00650). Found at Tavium (Galatia, central Asia Minor). Probably late antique.

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posted on 2015-12-21, 00:00 authored by pnowakowski
ἔνθα κατάκιτε
ὁ δοῦλος τοῦ θ(εο)ῦ
ὁ εὐσεβέσ-
τατος προ-
τοπρεσβ(ύτερος)
Γεώργις
τοῦ ἁγίου
καὶ ἐνδό-
ξου μάρτυ-
ρος Πλάτον-
ος

'Here lies Georgios, servant of God and most God-fearing chief presbyter (of the church) of the holy and glorious martyr Platon.'

Text and translation: I. North Galatia, no. 427.

History

Evidence ID

E01007

Saint Name

Platōn, martyr of Ankyra (Galatia, central Asia Minor), ob. c.303-305 Platōn, martyr of Ankyra (Galatia, central Asia Minor), ob. c.303-305 : S00650

Saint Name in Source

Πλάτων

Type of Evidence

Inscriptions - Funerary inscriptions

Language

  • Greek

Evidence not before

400

Evidence not after

650

Activity not before

400

Activity not after

650

Place of Evidence - Region

Asia Minor

Place of Evidence - City, village, etc

Tavium

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

Tavium Nicomedia Νικομήδεια Nikomēdeia Izmit Πραίνετος Prainetos Nicomedia

Cult activities - Places

Cult building - independent (church)

Cult Activities - Protagonists in Cult and Narratives

Ecclesiastics - lesser clergy

Source

A white marble stele, with a carving of a tabula ansata, a wreath, and a lozenge decoration. H. 0.8 m; W. 0.61 m; letter height 0.03 m. Found at Büyüknefes (area of ancient Tavium, Galatia, central Asia Minor).

Discussion

The inscription is the epitaph for Georgios, a chief presbyter (protopresbyteros) that served in a sanctuary of Platon, a martyr of Ankyra, probably martyred under Diocletian, and brother of the martyr *Antiochos (see Synax. Eccl. Const. 18 XI). The sanctuary of Platon in nearby Ankyra was a renowned pilgrimage centre and a church was dedicated to the martyr in Constantinople under Justinian (see: Foss 1977, 52-53; Delehaye 1912, 186-187). However, Stephen Mitchell argues that our priest served in an otherwise unattested church of Platon at Tavium, the closest city to the find-spot. This is disputable, as Georgios could have been associated with the sanctuary at Ankyra and simply buried at his home village. Dating: 5th c. or later (based on the contents and letter forms).

Bibliography

Edition: I. North Galatia, no. 427. Macpherson, I. W., New Evidence for the Historical Geography of Galatia (Unpublished Cambridge University PhD thesis: 1958), 196, no. 284. Inscriptiones Christianae Graecae database, no. 2441: http://www.epigraph.topoi.org/ica/icamainapp/inscription/show/2441 Further reading: Delehaye, H., Les origines du culte des martyrs (Bruxelles : Société des Bollandistes, 1912), 186-187. Destephen, S., "Martyrs locaux et cultes civiques en Asie Mineure", in: J.C. Caillet, S. Destephen, B. Dumézil, H. Inglebert, Des dieux civiques aux saints patrons (IVe-VIIe siècle) (Paris: éditions A. & J. Picard, 2015), 102. Foss, C.,"Late Antique and Byzantine Ankara", Dumbarton Oaks Papers 31 (1977), 52-53. The comments to I. North Galatia, no. 237. Reference works: Bulletin épigraphique (1983), 438.

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    Evidence -  The Cult of Saints in Late Antiquity

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