Artefact ID | 696 |
TM ID | TM 34140 |
Findspot (DEChriM ID) | 15 (al-Baǧawāt) | Class | Funerary element, Textual |
Material | Plaster |
Writing medium | Dipinto |
Text content | Subliterary |
Language | Greek |
Description | I.Oasis p. 66-67 no. 8; SB XX 14854; SEG XLIX 2211: Epigram of Petechon. Facing the entrance, a part of the wall was specially plastered and prepared for the text, but a major part of it was destroyed with the wall (Fakhry 1951: 162). The text consists of an acrostic epigram in 7 paragraphs of 4-5 lines, each one corresponding to one of the letters of the name of the young man deceased at age 15, Petechon. Only the last strophe of the poem is preserved: "N – I have separated myself from my worldly bride to participate in the life of the Spirit. He lived 15 years". The vocabulary makes this text part of a series of epitaphs written for Christian aôroi (Wagner 1987: 67) and testifies both of a good command of Greek and certain creativity (see Bingen 1999: 620). |
Selection criteria | Christian terms/formulas/concepts, Archaeological context associated with Christian markers |
Date from | 300 |
Date to | 399 |
Dating criteria | Palaeography (Wagner 1987: 66 "l'écriture est du IVe s.") and archaeological context. |
Absolute/relative date | Relative date |
Archaeological context | Probably Chapel no. 193, one of the oldest square domed type (type 4). |
Accession number | Al-Baǧawāt, in situ (Chapel 193 / Roquet, Ghica no. 16.01) |