IRCyr   Inscriptions of Roman Cyrenaica

C.216. Christian invocation for Anastasios, pigeon-seller

Description: Cipollino marble column, one of a pair.
Text: Inscribed on the drum, (i) at c.2.50 m above the ground, (iii) at c. 1.60m above the ground. There is a graffito image of a dove, with a twig in its mouth, above i.
Letters: Irregular letters, graffiti, i. 0.03 - 0.05; lunate epsilon, lunate sigma; ligature in line 1 between ΘΗ and in line 2 between ΣΟΝ. ii. 0.03-0.06; lunate epsilon, lunate sigma, cursive omega. In line 3, ΟΥ perhaps in ligature.

Date: Fourth to sixth century CE

Findspot: Cyrene: Byzantine Baths: found in 1928, reused and laid horizontally.
Original location: Perhaps Temple F
Last recorded location: Re-erected flanking the south entrance to the Frigidarium of the Byzantine baths.

Interpretive

i.b
((crux))
[---]Ϲ
i.b
((crux)) Κύριε βοήθη-
ϲον το͂ Ἰανο-
υαρίω
ii
βοήθηϲο-
ν Κύριε τοῦ
ῥαββί
iii
Κύριε βοήθηϲον
Ἀνασταϲίο[υ]
το̣ῦ ἔχοντοϲ τὰϲ
περεϲτεράϲ

Diplomatic

i.b

[---]Ϲ
i.b
ΚΥΡΙΕΒΟΗΘΗ
ϹΟΝΤΟΙΑΝΟ
ΥΑΡΙΩ
ii
ΒΟΗΘΗϹΟ
ΝΚΥΡΙΕΤΟΥ
ΡΑΒΒΙ
iii
ΚΥΡΙΕΒΟΗΘΗϹΟΝ
ΑΝΑΣΤΑϹΙΟ[.]
Τ.ΥΕΧΟΝΤΟϹΤΑϹ
ΠΕΡΕϹΤΕΡΑϹ

Apparatus

i.b.2-3: τ[οῦ] Ἀν/αϲ[ταϲίου] Reynolds, 1960 whence LGPN V1-62856.

English translation

Translation source: Reynolds-Ward-Perkins-Goodchild, 2003

(i) (Cross) Lord, help Januarius. (ii) Help, Lord, the Rabbi. (iii) Lord, help Anastasius, the man who has the doves.

Commentary

ii. The word is clearly Rabbi; what is less clear is how it would be understood. P.W.van der Horst, Journal of Jewish Studies 38 (1987) 102-106, (whence SEG 37.1702) considers that this text can only be Jewish; it is only i that is unequivocally Christian.

iii: Oliverio proposed a reference to the Emperor Anastasius; but Roussel suggested that Anastasios was a pigeon-seller. Robert provided an assembly of evidence for these and other bird-sellers. Anastasios was not selling birds to eat, but more probably as pets. The texts marked the place where he practised his trade.

Bibliography: i and iii: Oliverio, 1930, 33, 34, pp. 218-220, figs. 79-80 whence Roussel, Bulletin Épigraphique, 1932, p. 211, SEG 9.187, PHI 324038, SEG 9.188, PHI 324039; Reynolds, 1960 p. 286, 4; mentioned SEG 18.755; Robert, Bulletin Épigraphique, 1961.835 and Robert, 1971, 81-91, whence Robert, Bulletin Épigraphique, 1971.725; iii: Guarducci, 1973, whence Robert, Bulletin Épigraphique, 1976.790; i, ii and iii, Stucchi, 1981, 215-8, whence i and ii SEG 31.1578, from which PHI 324546. Reynolds-Ward-Perkins-Goodchild, 2003, 168.b.
Text constituted from: Transcription (Reynolds).

Images

   Fig. 1. Face (C. Dobias-Lalou, 1983: MFA diapo A000024)

   Fig. 2. View (C. Dobias-Lalou, 1983: MFA diapo A000025)