Offering of a baptistery to the Lord

Source Description

Support

Left part of a white marble block re-cut at right and broken off above and below (1.37; 0.29;0.13); at left a cross in relief, which probably had a pendant, now lost, at right.

Layout

Inscribed on the face in at least six lines, perhaps more, with alternate inset of hexameters and pentameters; the whole is inscribed within a sunk area (1.09; 0.29;).

Letters

0.04-0.05; alpha with dropped bar, semi-cursive mu, xi made of two loops joining in the centre into a small circle, square and lunate sigma, phi with diamond-shaped loop, omega like a mu upside down; letters pressed together, but no real ligature; pi + nu at line 4 and omega + iota at line 6 are linked with a small slanting stroke; an apostrophe is cut at ll. 2 and 4, marking the elisions.

Place of Origin

Port of Cyrene, later Apollonia pleiades; HGL , at the time re-named Sozousa: either from the East Church or from the West Church .

Date

Probably sixth century A.D. (lettering)

Findspot

First seen in 1909 by O. Bates and R. Norton outside Port of Cyrene, later Apollonia pleiades; HGL : in the modern village of Sūsah , serving as left jamb of an oven.

Last recorded Location

Seen by C. Dobias-Lalou in 1976 and again 2010 at Sūsah : in the Apollonia Museum .

Text constituted from

Transcription from stone (CDL).

Bibliography

Robinson, 1913 Robinson, D.M., 1913, Inscriptions from the Cyrenaica, American Journal of Archaeology (AJA)17, 157-200 - see in bibliography , n. 74; Reynolds, 1960 Reynolds, J.M., 1960, The Christian inscriptions of Cyrenaica, Journal of Theological Studies11, 284-294 - see in bibliography , p. 289, n. 13, whence SEG Supplementum Epigraphicum Graecum, Leiden, then Amsterdam, 1923-1971, then 1979- - see in bibliography , 18.759; Robert, Bulletin Épigraphique Robert, J. and L., Bulletin Épigraphique in Revue des Études Grecques (REG)1938-1984 - see in bibliography , 1961.835; again as if unpublished SECir Oliverio, G., Pugliese-Carratelli, G., Morelli, D., 1961-1962, Supplemento Epigrafico Cirenaico, Annuario della Scuola Archeologica di Atene e delle Missioni Italiane in Oriente (ASAA)39-40 (= n.s. 23-24), 219-375 - see in bibliography , 200bis and fig. 146 and Robert, Bulletin Épigraphique Robert, J. and L., Bulletin Épigraphique in Revue des Études Grecques (REG)1938-1984 - see in bibliography , 1964.576; Reynolds, 1976 Reynolds, J.M., 1976, The Inscriptions of Apollonia, in R.G. Goodchild, J. Griffiths Pedley, D. White, J.H. Humphrey (eds.), Apollonia, the port of Cyrene: excavations by the University of Michigan, 1965-1967, Libya Antiqua (LibAnt)Suppl. 4, Tripoli, 293-333 - see in bibliography , n. 61 and pl. XXI; Peek, 1972 Peek, W., 1972, Griechische Versinschriften aus der Cyrenaica aus Mauretanien und Numidien, Abhandlungen der sächsichen Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Leipzig, phil.-hist. Klasse, 63.4, Berlin - see in bibliography , n. 13; Ward-Perkins-Goodchild-Reynolds, 2003 Ward-Perkins, J.B., Goodchild, R.G., (edited by Reynolds, J.M.), 2003, Christian monuments of Cyrenaica, Society for Libyan Studies monograph4, London - see in bibliography , p. 112, n. 2.d. Cf. Gallavotti, 1963 Gallavotti, C., 1963, Una "defixio" dorica e altri nuovi epigrammi cirenaici, Maia15, 450-463 - see in bibliography , pp. 459-460; Uhlenbrock, 1999 Uhlenbrock, J.P., 1999, Cyrene papers: the second report. The Oric Bates expedition of 1909, Libyan Studies (LibStud)30, 77-97 - see in bibliography , p. 91..

Text

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Apparatus

0 Reynolds, 1976 Reynolds, J.M., 1976, The Inscriptions of Apollonia, in R.G. Goodchild, J. Griffiths Pedley, D. White, J.H. Humphrey (eds.), Apollonia, the port of Cyrene: excavations by the University of Michigan, 1965-1967, Libya Antiqua (LibAnt)Suppl. 4, Tripoli, 293-333 - see in bibliography [------] : Peek, 1972 Peek, W., 1972, Griechische Versinschriften aus der Cyrenaica aus Mauretanien und Numidien, Abhandlungen der sächsichen Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Leipzig, phil.-hist. Klasse, 63.4, Berlin - see in bibliography [ὅ, ξένε, Δημαγόρας αὑτοῦ δαπάναισιν ἔτευξεν]

1 [c. 7] [τ]ε̣ί̣χ̣ων λουτ̣ρ̣ὸν ἀκηράσιον : Robinson, 1913 Robinson, D.M., 1913, Inscriptions from the Cyrenaica, American Journal of Archaeology (AJA)17, 157-200 - see in bibliography [---] [c. 16 - 19] : Reynolds, 1960 Reynolds, J.M., 1960, The Christian inscriptions of Cyrenaica, Journal of Theological Studies11, 284-294 - see in bibliography [---] ΧΩΝΛ̣Ο̣[.....] ΟΝΑ[....] Α[..] Ο̣Ν̣ : SECir Oliverio, G., Pugliese-Carratelli, G., Morelli, D., 1961-1962, Supplemento Epigrafico Cirenaico, Annuario della Scuola Archeologica di Atene e delle Missioni Italiane in Oriente (ASAA)39-40 (= n.s. 23-24), 219-375 - see in bibliography [---] +++ν̣ +++ [..] ++ ονα̣[.] ++α̣+++ω : Peek, 1972 Peek, W., 1972, Griechische Versinschriften aus der Cyrenaica aus Mauretanien und Numidien, Abhandlungen der sächsichen Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Leipzig, phil.-hist. Klasse, 63.4, Berlin - see in bibliography ἔ̣[μβα τοῦθ᾿ὁ]ρ̣ά̣ων λουτ̣ρ̣ὸν ἀκ̣ηρ̣άσιον : Reynolds, 1976 Reynolds, J.M., 1976, The Inscriptions of Apollonia, in R.G. Goodchild, J. Griffiths Pedley, D. White, J.H. Humphrey (eds.), Apollonia, the port of Cyrene: excavations by the University of Michigan, 1965-1967, Libya Antiqua (LibAnt)Suppl. 4, Tripoli, 293-333 - see in bibliography [c. 7] [τ]ε̣ί̣χ̣ων λο̣υ̣τ̣ρ̣ὸν ἀκηράσιον : Ward-Perkins-Goodchild-Reynolds, 2003 Ward-Perkins, J.B., Goodchild, R.G., (edited by Reynolds, J.M.), 2003, Christian monuments of Cyrenaica, Society for Libyan Studies monograph4, London - see in bibliography [c. 9] ι̣χ̣ων λουτ̣ρ̣ὸν ἀκηράσιον

2 Gallavotti, 1963 Gallavotti, C., 1963, Una "defixio" dorica e altri nuovi epigrammi cirenaici, Maia15, 450-463 - see in bibliography , Reynolds, 1976 Reynolds, J.M., 1976, The Inscriptions of Apollonia, in R.G. Goodchild, J. Griffiths Pedley, D. White, J.H. Humphrey (eds.), Apollonia, the port of Cyrene: excavations by the University of Michigan, 1965-1967, Libya Antiqua (LibAnt)Suppl. 4, Tripoli, 293-333 - see in bibliography ἔρ̣ε[ξεν] : Robinson, 1913 Robinson, D.M., 1913, Inscriptions from the Cyrenaica, American Journal of Archaeology (AJA)17, 157-200 - see in bibliography , Reynolds, 1960 Reynolds, J.M., 1960, The Christian inscriptions of Cyrenaica, Journal of Theological Studies11, 284-294 - see in bibliography ἔρε[ξε] : SECir Oliverio, G., Pugliese-Carratelli, G., Morelli, D., 1961-1962, Supplemento Epigrafico Cirenaico, Annuario della Scuola Archeologica di Atene e delle Missioni Italiane in Oriente (ASAA)39-40 (= n.s. 23-24), 219-375 - see in bibliography ΕΙ++ [---]

4 SECir Oliverio, G., Pugliese-Carratelli, G., Morelli, D., 1961-1962, Supplemento Epigrafico Cirenaico, Annuario della Scuola Archeologica di Atene e delle Missioni Italiane in Oriente (ASAA)39-40 (= n.s. 23-24), 219-375 - see in bibliography , Ward-Perkins-Goodchild-Reynolds, 2003 Ward-Perkins, J.B., Goodchild, R.G., (edited by Reynolds, J.M.), 2003, Christian monuments of Cyrenaica, Society for Libyan Studies monograph4, London - see in bibliography φύ[λαξον] : Robinson, 1913 Robinson, D.M., 1913, Inscriptions from the Cyrenaica, American Journal of Archaeology (AJA)17, 157-200 - see in bibliography , Reynolds, 1960 Reynolds, J.M., 1960, The Christian inscriptions of Cyrenaica, Journal of Theological Studies11, 284-294 - see in bibliography , Peek, 1972 Peek, W., 1972, Griechische Versinschriften aus der Cyrenaica aus Mauretanien und Numidien, Abhandlungen der sächsichen Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Leipzig, phil.-hist. Klasse, 63.4, Berlin - see in bibliography , Reynolds, 1976 Reynolds, J.M., 1976, The Inscriptions of Apollonia, in R.G. Goodchild, J. Griffiths Pedley, D. White, J.H. Humphrey (eds.), Apollonia, the port of Cyrene: excavations by the University of Michigan, 1965-1967, Libya Antiqua (LibAnt)Suppl. 4, Tripoli, 293-333 - see in bibliography φύ[λασσε]

5 Reynolds, 1960 Reynolds, J.M., 1960, The Christian inscriptions of Cyrenaica, Journal of Theological Studies11, 284-294 - see in bibliography , Gallavotti, 1963 Gallavotti, C., 1963, Una "defixio" dorica e altri nuovi epigrammi cirenaici, Maia15, 450-463 - see in bibliography σῶι : Robinson, 1913 Robinson, D.M., 1913, Inscriptions from the Cyrenaica, American Journal of Archaeology (AJA)17, 157-200 - see in bibliography σῷ : SECir Oliverio, G., Pugliese-Carratelli, G., Morelli, D., 1961-1962, Supplemento Epigrafico Cirenaico, Annuario della Scuola Archeologica di Atene e delle Missioni Italiane in Oriente (ASAA)39-40 (= n.s. 23-24), 219-375 - see in bibliography σῶν

French translation

[---] des murs un bain sans impureté

où, se défaisant des péchés commis auparavant,

l'on renaît d'une naissance spirituelle.

Accorde le salut au fondateur, à sa loyale épouse et à ses enfants,

en accordant, Seigneur, à ton serviteur cette rétribution.

English translation

[---] walls a pure bath

where, having put off the sins which one committed in the past,

one is born again in a birth of the spirit.

Guard the founder and his faithful wife and children,

granting this, oh Lord, as a reward to your servant.

(J.M. Reynolds' translation slightly modified)

Italian translation

[---] dei muri un bagno puro

dove, spogliati dei peccati commessi nel passato,

si viene di nuovo alla luce con una nascita spirituale.

Il fondatore, la sua fedele sposa e i suoi figli proteggi,

o Signore, questo concedendo al tuo servo come ricompensa.

Commentary

The epigram clearly mentions building works in a baptistery. About the discovery, we know since Uhlenbrock's publication in 1999 of Oric Bates' report about a preliminary expedition with Norton in 1909 that they discovered on that occasion the stone «built into the jamb of an oven». The site of the ancient city was then occupied by a Turkish military post established there for the protection of the newly settled Cretan Muslims. The same report tells that the West Church was being spoiled of stones for new buildings. The present inscription, hitherto attributed to the East Church, the only building excavated during the Italian period, might thus rather belong to the West Church, as pointed by J.M. Reynolds in 2003.

Peek's restorations of the first distichon (text-lines 0-1) are too hazardous. Neither his good knowledge of Greek verse nor the faith he granted Robinson, who also relied upon a copy by Norton, can be more trustworthy that the direct examination of the stone. Their readings stand here only for the fullness of the editorial history.

At l. 1 [τ]ε̣ίχων is a plausible reading, as the word is used not only for city-walls but also in papyri for the walls of a temple. The dedicant's offering consisted perhaps not in building the baptistery itself, but in enclosing it into walls.

At l. 3 λοχίαις is written with iota as a result of the very common iotacism and stands for λοχείαις; the vowel is metrically short in the hiatus. The idea that baptism is a spiritual rebirth is a common one. In the formulation, there are also some traditional features of the poetic language, such as the use of ἄναξ for 'Lord' instead of the pedestrian Κύριε, as well as the traditional epic formula κεδνὴ ἄλοχος.

Metrical analysis: at least three very regular elegiac couplets.

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