E00869: Bilingual (Latin and Greek) inscription with an imperial letter of Justin I and Justinian, placing the estates, owned by an oratory (eukterion) of *John the Apostle and Evangelist (S00042), and the peasants cultivating them, under the care of the said emperors. Found near Lagbe (Pamphylia, southern Asia Minor). Dated 1 June 527.
Creators: name: Pnowakowski
Publisher: name: University of Oxford
Year: 2015
Subjects: History

description: Bilingual (Latin and Greek) inscription on three faces of a stone block:<br><br><br>Face A:<br> quando et alias indemnes]<br> [convenit ser]vari co[ll]at[ores nostros],<br> [maxime possessio]nes ad ve[ne]ra[bile ora-]<br>4 [torium sa]ncti apostoli Io[h]an[nis per-]<br> [tinentes ea] providentia [frui] opor[tet].<br> [propter ho]c memoratas precibus [pos-]<br> [sessiones et] e[o]rum colonas vel adscrip-<br>8 [ticos et c]uratores aut conductores li-<br> [beros ab om]ni laesione permanere, tam<br> [a transitu mi]litum vel violentiae prohibit-<br> [orum qu]am ab illis militibus qui sedes<br>12[prope ea]sdem possessiones habere nos-<br> [cuntur], nullo eorum audente quo-<br> [cumqu]e damnos ex [qua]cumque occasi- <br> [one eos] adfligere s[i prec]es verae sunt,<br>16[competent]is oraculi sa[cra sanc]tione decer-<br> [nimus: quam re]ctor provinciae [u]na cum<br><br>Face B:<br><br> [officio suo modis omni]bus ob[se]r[v]are ef[fi-]<br> [ciet severissima p]oenali condemn-<br>20[natione . . . mini]me defutura cont-<br> [ra violatores nostror]um apicum, omni obr-<br> [eptione contra molie]ntium sive per sacrum<br> [apicem, sive pe]r [v]icem postulation[is]<br>24[aut] aliquo[libe]t modo facta iam vel<br> [f]utura cessan[t]e. data Kalendas Iunias<br> Constantinopoli Mavortio vir[o] clarissi-<br> mo consule + u[t]emi(n)i rescripto +<br>28recognovi +<br><br> πότε καὶ ἄλλως ἀζημίους προσήκ[ει]<br> τοὺς ἡμετέρους [φ]υλάττεσθαι συντελεσ-<br> τάς, μάλιστα τὰς κτήσεις τὰς τῷ σεπτῷ εὐ-<br>32κτηρίῳ τοῦ ἁγίου ἀποστόλου Ἰωάννου προσ-<br> ηκούσας ταύτης τῆς προνοίας ἀπολαῦ-<br> σαι χρή· καὶ διὰ τοῦτο τὰς φερομένας ἐν τε̑˜ς<br> εἱκετηρίες κτήσεις καὶ τοὺς τούτων γεωρ- <br>36οὺς καὶ ἐναπογράφους καὶ φροντιστὰς<br><br>Face C:<br><br> [μισθωτάς τε μ]ένιν ἐ[λ]ε[υθέρους καὶ ἀπὸ στρα-]<br> [τιω]τῶν [κ]αὶ [βι]οκ[ωλυτῶν παρόδου καὶ ἀπὸ]<br> τούτων τῶν [ἀ]ριθμῶν οἵτινες πλισίον τού-<br>40[τ]ων τῶν κτήσεων εἱδρυμένοι γινώσκοντε, μι-<br> [δ]ενὸς ἐκ τού[τ]ων τολμῶντος οἱᾳδήποτε ζ[η-]<br> [μί]ᾳ ἐξ οἵας οὖ[ν π]ροφάσεως τούτους συντρί-<br> βιν, εἰ ἀληθεῖς εἰσιν αἱ δεήσις, διὰ τῆς προσηκού-<br>44σης θίας νομοθεσίας θεσπίζομεν· ὅν τινα τ[ύ-]<br> πον τῆς ἡμετέρας θειότητος ὁ λαμπρότατος<br> ἄρχων τῆς ἐπαρχίας μετὰ τῆς εἰδίας τάξεω[ς]<br> ἅπασιν τρόποις παραφυλάττεσθαι φρον-<br>48τιεῖ, βαρυτάτης οιν[ῆ]ς οὐδαμῶς ἐλλιψούσ[ης]<br> κατὰ τῶν προπετευομένων κατὰ τῶν ἡμε[τέ-]<br> ρων βασιλικῶν ψήφων, πάσης συναρπαγ[ῆς]<br> ἀπὸ τῶν ἐναντίων κατασκευαζομέν[ων εἴτε]<br>52κατὰ θῖον ψῆφον εἴτε κατὰ ἄλλην ἀ[ξίωσιν]<br> ἢ καὶ ἄλλῳ οἱῳδήποτε τρόπῳ γ[εγενη-]<br> μένης ἤδη ἢ μελλούσης γίνεσ[θαι παραυ-]<br> [τίκα] σχολαζούσης Ν. .S +<br><br>The following variant readings and reconstructions of the text have been suggested by different scholars. None of them substantially alter the overall meaning of the text.<br><br>A1-3. [Impp. Justinus et Justinianus AA. Arche|lao pr. pr. Or. Quia omnes con|venit nostros ser]vari co[ll]at[ores prae|cipue possessio]nes Diehl, quando et alias immunes | convenit ser]vari co[ll]at[ores nostros, | maxime possessio]nes Mommsen, indemnes con|venit Cousin Grégoire || A7. eorum Amelotti &amp; Luzzatto || A8-9. se|[curos Diehl Mommsen, li|[beros Cousin Grégoire || A10. [transeuntium mi]litum Mommsen || A10-11. prohibit|[oribus Diehl, prohibit|[orum Cousin Grégoire || A. 14. damno Diehl, damnos Grégoire || B20. minim]e Diehl, mini]me Grégoire || B22. . . . . .]ntium Diehl, adversa]ntium Cousin, contra venie]ntium Mommsen, contra molie]ntium Grégoire || B24. [aut] alio quo [libe]t Diehl Mommsen, [sive] alio quo [libe]t or aliquo[libe]t Cousin, [aut] aliquo[libe]t Grégoire B25. futura cessante Diehl, [f]utura cessa[n]te Grégoire || B27-28. u[t]emi(n)i rescripto Feissel, ….... rescrip.. + reco|gnovi Amelotti &amp; Luzzatto, .......... rescripsi + reco|gnovi + Diehl, UEmIIVI(?) rescripto +| recognovi + Cousin Grégoire B28. ἀπό τε καὶ Diehl, [ὁ]πότε καὶ Mommsen Grégoire, Αποτε Amelotti &amp; Luzzatto || C37. [καὶ μισθωτὰς ἀβλαβεῖς μενεῖν ἀπό τε Diehl, [μισθωτάς τε μ]ένιν ἐ[λ]ε[υθέρους καὶ ἀπὸ Cousin Grégoire || C38. [παρόδου ἢ βικωλύτων, ἀπό τε] Diehl, [κ]αὶ [βι]οκ[ωλυτῶν παρόδου καὶ ἀπὸ] Cousin Grégoire || C37-38. [ἢ μισθωτὰς σώους πάσης ὕβρεως μένειν στρα|τι]ωτῶν [παρ]ο[δευόντων ἤ βιοκωλύτων ἢ καὶ] Mommsen || C39. πλησίον Diehl, πλισίον Cousin Grégoire || C40-41. [μη|δ]ενὸς Diehl, μι|[δ]ενὸς Cousin Grégoire || C41-42. ζ[ημ|ί]ᾳ Cousin || C48. [π]οινῆς Diehl, [π]οιν[ῆ]ς Grégoire, φοιν[.]ς Amelotti &amp; Luzzatto || C51. κατασκευαζομέν[ων] Diehl, κατασκευαζομέν[ης] Cousin, κατασκευαζομέν[ων εἴτε] Grégoire || C52. α. . . . Diehl, ἀ[ξίωσιν] or α[ἰτήσιν] Cousin, ἀ[ξίωσιν] Grégoire || C54-55. παραυ|τίκα] omittit Mommesn || C55. σχολαζούσης + Diehl, σχολαζούσης N. .S + Cousin Grégoire, σχολαζούσης .... + Amelotti &amp; Luzzatto<br><br>Latin version (underlined words are those missing in the Greek version): [Since it is proper that our serfs be kept immune, it is absolutely necessary that the es]tates [belonging] to the rever[end oratory of Sa]int John the Apostle [should benefit from] the same provision. [For this reason] we state, by (the power) of the present divine decision that, [the estates] mentioned in complaints and their peasants (colones) and ascribed peasants (adscriptici), and overseers (curatores) and free tenants (conductores) should be [free from ev]ery burden, from both [the passage of sol]diers or mili[tia (violentiae prohibitores)] and from those soldiers who are kno[wn] to be permanently garrisoned [next to] these estates. May no one of them dare to inflict [any] damage upon [them] on any occasion, if the [complai]nts are true. And the governor of the province together with [his staff must secure this by all me]ans, [and the most severe puni]shment shall in no wise be evaded by [those acting hastily against o]ur rescripts, so that all wi[cked acts committed on the labour]ers, either against [the rescript], or by changing its i[ntention (?)], or by any other means whatsoever, whether already done or likely to be done in the future, cease [immediately]. Issued on the calends of June in Constantinople, under Mavortius, the most excellent consul. + Apply the rescript! + I confirmed (it). +<br><br>Greek version (underlined words are those missing in the Latin version): Since it is proper that our serfs remain immune in every other case, it is especially necessary that the estates belonging to the reverend oratory of Saint John the Apostle should benefit from the same provision. For this reason we state by (the power) of the present divine decision that, if the complaints are true, the estates mentioned in (these) complaints and their peasants (γεωργοί) and adscribed peasants (ἐναπόγραφοι), and overseers (φροντισταί), and [tenants (μισθωταί)] should be free from [the passage of soldiers or militia (βιοκωλυταί)] and from those units who are known to be permanently garrisoned next to these estates, and let one of these people dare inflict any damage upon them on any occasion. And the most clarissimus governor of the province together with his staff must secure by all means this decision of our divinity, and the most severe punishment shall in no wise be evaded by those acting hastily against our rescripts, so that all wicked acts committed on the labourers, either against the rescript, or any other dec[ision (?)], or by any other means whatsoever, whether already done or likely to be done in the future, cease [immediately.] N..S + <br><br>Text: IGC, no. 314. Translation: P. Nowakowski, E. Rizos.