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E07507: Latin inscription probably commemorating the deposition of the relics of saints. Dougga (Africa Proconsularis, North Africa).

online resource

posted on 2019-04-05, 00:00 authored by CSLA Admin

Hi[c memorie s]a(n)c(t)or[um...
ma [rtyrum... I]nno[centi? ....].

'Here there are the relics of the holy martyrs (...) Innocent (?)'

Text:Y. Duval, following Diehl. TranslationL S. Adamiak following this reconstruction.

History

Evidence ID

E07507

Type of Evidence

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

Language

Latin

Evidence not before

304

Evidence not after

698

Activity not before

304

Activity not after

698

Place of Evidence - Region

Latin North Africa

Place of Evidence - City, village, etc

Dougga

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

Dougga Carthage Carthago Karthago قرطاج‎ Qarṭāj Mçidfa Carthage

Cult Activities - Relics

Unspecified relic Transfer, translation and deposition of relics

Cult Activities - Cult Related Objects

Inscription

Source

The reconstruction of the text is based on two small fragments of marble found in different places in Dougga.

Discussion

A different reading was proposed by Poinssot: "hi[c reliquiae? s]a[n]c[t]or[um marytrum] Ma[riani? et ... i]n no[mine Dei]". Duval finds it unconvincing. Anyway, the inscription marks the place of the deposition of relics ["memoriae sanctorum"], or, if we read "memoria" in singular, a chapel dedicated to several saints.

Bibliography

Duval, Y., Loca sanctorum Africae: Le culte des martyrs en Afrique du IVe au VIIe siècle (Rome: École Française de Rome, 1982), vol. 1, 41–42, no. 18.