IRCyr   Inscriptions of Roman Cyrenaica

M.107. Christian invocation

Description: Two pieces forming the left side of an inscribed stele, probably limestone (w: 0.45 x h: 0.37 x d: 0.075)
Text: Carefully cut.
Letters: Probably sixth cent AD: 0.035; lunate epsilon, sigma, omega.

Date: Sixth century CE

Findspot: Gebel Akhdar: West of Cyrene: Barke; recorded in 1925, as from the garden of Hussein el-Turchi to the right of the former Viale Regina Elena.
Original location: Unknown
Last recorded location: Findspot

Interpretive

((crux)) σύ εἰ θεοτό[κοϲ ἡ ἐγείρουϲα ἀπὸ γῆϲ]
πτωχὸν κα ἀπ[ὸ κοπρίαϲ ἀνυψοῦϲα]
πένητα καὶ̣ ΜΕΤ[c. 16]
μετὰ βαϲιλέω[ν ---]
5ΡΗϹΙΑΝ̣[---]
ΛΩϹ[---]
ϲῶ[ϲον ---]

Diplomatic

ΣΥΕΙΘΕΟΤΟ[...................]
ΠΤΩΧΟΝΚΑΑΠ[................]
ΠΕΝΗΤΑΚΑ.ΜΕΤ[················]
ΜΕΤΑΒΑϹΙΛΕΩ[.---]
5ΡΗϹΙΑ.[---]
ΛΩϹ[---]
ϹΩ[...---]

Apparatus

Underlined letters were seen by Oliverio and recorded in his notes. P.C. offered no supplements of his own but cites Oliverio's notes as follows: ; θεοτό[κε· τὸν SECir, 1961-1962; θεοτό[κος, ? ἣ ἐγείρεις Reynolds, 1960
2: ἄπ[ορον] SECir, 1961-1962; ἀν[ύψοις Reynolds, 1960
3: μέτ[οικον] SECir, 1961-1962
4-5: [παρ]/ρησίαν SECir, 1961-1962
5-6: [πλείστην κα]/λῶς [δηλούμενον] SECir, 1961-1962

English translation

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

(Cross) You are the Mother of God [who lifts the] beggar [from the earth and raises the] poor man [from the dung-heap? and places him] among kings [ . . .

Commentary

The phrasing in lines is from the Septuagint, Psalm 112.7-8:ὁ ἐγείρων ἀπὸ γῆς πτωχὸν καὶ ἀπὸ κοπρίας ἀνυψῶν πένητα (8) τοῦ καθίσαι αὐτὸν μετὰ ἀρχόντων; the reading here is that suggested by Tod, to the editors of SEG 17. For its use in Christian inscriptions cf. IGLS IV. 1455, 1460, 1461 (PHI 243701, 243706, 243707), where, however, the action is ascribed to the Lord, not to the Theotokos, as here.

Bibliography: Reynolds, 1960, 18 whence SEG 18.765 PHI 324462; SECir, 1961-1962, 96 p.269, fig. 75 (from T.VIII 12v), mentioned SEG 20.765; Reynolds-Ward-Perkins-Goodchild, 2003, 265.32
Text constituted from: Transcribed from a photograph (Reynolds).

Images

None available (2020).