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ARTEFACT IDENTIFIERS

Artefact ID1314
TM IDΤΜ 107224
Findspot (DEChriM ID)44   (al-Iskandariyya)
ClassTextual
MaterialStone
Writing mediumInscription
Text contentSubliterary
LanguageGreek
Description

I.Louvre 129; IGChrEg 45: Epitaph of Apollo

Rectangular limestone stela, h. 24; w. 21 cm. The epitaph is written over another text that was previously erased. The text reads "Apolo, porter", with initial staurogram. The last line shows the sacred letters ΩΑ, which is a sequence rarer than usual ΑΩ and expresses the passing from death to eternal life. Between the two letters, another staurogram with horizontal line forming the base of a delta, perhaps representing the ship of the church (Bernand 1992).

Above the first line, in smaller letters and in a different hand, was written the acclamation to God ἀνάπαυσον: "give rest!"; and before line 2, one can see a cross also belonging to the former inscription (Tudor 2011 seems to consider that the two inscriptions are one same text).

Selection criteriaChristian terms/formulas/concepts, Christian symbols/gestures/isopsephy
Date from300
Date to450
Dating criteria

According to Lefebvre 1907: xxxiii, the inscriptions bearing the reverse sequence ω - α are very ancient, likely to precede the Peace of the church (quoted by Bernand 1992). Tudor 2011 dates the inscription to 4/5th c.

Absolute/relative dateRelative date
Archaeological context

Alexandria (no detail).

Accession number

Paris, Louvre, Réserve Napoléon, MA 3038.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Additional editions

• Bernand, Etienne. 1992. Inscriptions grecques d'Egypte et Nubie au Musée du Louvre. Paris, no. 129 and pl. 73.

• Lefebvre, Gustave, 1907. Recueil des inscriptions grecques chrétiennes d'Egypte, Paris, no. 45.

Editio princeps

• De Ricci, Seymour, 1902. Atti del sedcondo congresso di Archaeologia cristiana, tenuto in Roma nell'aprile 1900. Rome, p. 175.

Additional bibliography

• Tudor, Bianca. 2011. Christian funerary stelae of the Byzantine and Arab periods from Egypt. London [III.3.1.2; s.v. αναπαυσον ΝΝ]. 

Authors
Valérie Schram, 2021
Suggested citation
Valérie Schram, 2021, "Artefact ID 1314", 4CARE database - Fourth-Century Christian Archaeological Record of Egypt, https://4care-skos.mf.no/artefacts/1314
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