E00708: Fragmentary Greek inscription from Ephesos (western Asia Minor) with an excerpt from a letter, probably from the emperor Justinian (527-565), stating the unique dignity of *John (Apostle and Evangelist, S00042) and his precedence over *Polycarp (bishop and martyr of Smyrna, S00004).
Creators: name: Pnowakowski
Publisher: name: University of Oxford
Year: 2015
Subjects: History

description: Two substantial fragments of the inscription have been found, and three smaller ones.<br><br>I:<br><br> ]̣ω̣ς καὶ τοσαύ̣τ̣ης ἐκ […...]<br> ἀξι]̣ωθῆναι καὶ ἀγαπητὸν αὐτὸν μαθητ̣ὴ̣ν<br>[ὑπὲρ πάν]̣τας ὀνομασθῆναι, καὶ πρῶτον μὲν<br>[τοῖς Κ(υρίο)υ] ἀνακλιθῆναι στέρνοις, ἐκεῖθέν τε<br>[ἕκλειν .].τους ἐκείνας φωνάς, δι’ ὧν ἡμῖν καὶ<br>[δοὺς τὴν] ἔνθεον αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀνεκδιήγητον θεο-<br>[λογίαν κ]αὶ βροντῆς υἱὸς εἰκότως ἐκλήθη, ὡς<br>[οὐκ ἀνθ]ρώπινον φθεγγόμενος ἀλλ’ ἐξ οὐρανοῦ<br>[ἡμῖν τὰ μ]̣υ̣στικώτ̣ατα τῶν δογμάτων ἀναφαίνων,<br>[ c. 14 letters ] τοσοῦτον δὲ τὸ μέγεθος<br>[ ὥστ]ε καὶ πρὸς τὴν ἁγίαν τε καὶ<br>[ἀειπάρθενον (?) αὐ]̣τοῦ κυρίως μητέρα τὸν θ(εὸ)ν<br>[ ἁγιώ]τ(ατον) ἀπόστολον εἶναι τῆς<br>[ ]αν μητρὸς ὑπαρχούση̣ς<br>[ ἀ]̣γ̣ί[ου ἀ]̣ποστόλου κατα[....]<br><br>I. 1-2. ἐκ [τούτου | τειμῆς ἀξι]ωθῆναι Keil || 2-3. μαθητὴ[ν | θῡ παρὰ πάν]τας Keil || 4. [τοῖς τοῦ θ̅υ̅] Keil || 4-5. τε|[θήλακε (Heberdey) ἀπύσ]τους Keil, τέ|[τακε ἀγνώσ]τους or ἀρρήτους Keil p. 371 n. 1, τε | [σχεῖν (or λαβεῖν) τὰς ἀφά]τους Grégoire, τε | [σχεῖν τὰς ἀρρή]τους Wankel || 5-6. και|[νίζων τό τε] ἔνθεον Keil, καὶ [φήνας (or δηλῶν) τό τε] ἔνθεον Grégoire Wankel || 6-7. θεο|[λόγος τε κ]αὶ Keil || 8. [οὐδὲν ἀνθ]ρώπινον Keil || 10. [τε καὶ ἀνακαλύπτων.] Keil || 11. [τῆς τιμῆς αὐτοῦ ὥστ]ε Keil || 12. [ἐξ ἁγs πνεύματος αὑτ]οῦ Keil || 13. [ἀποφαίνειν, τὸν ἁγιώ]τs Keil || 14. [αὐτῆς υἱὸν κατ᾿ ἐναντί]αν μητρὸς Keil, οὐ κατ᾿ ἀλήθει]αν Crönert || 15. [τῆς Θεοτόκου τοῦ ἁγιωτs ἀ]π[οσ]τόλου Keil || 15-16. κατ[ὰ τοὺς | λόγους τοῦ θ̅υ̅] Keil, κατὰ [δὲ τὴν | ἀξίωσιν τοῦ θ̅υ̅] Crönert || 14-15. [αὐτῆς υἱόν, ὡσπερ] ἂν μητρὸς ὑπαρχούση̣ς | [τοῦ αὐτοῦ ἁ]̣γ̣ι[ωτ(άτου) ἀ]ποστόλου κατὰ [υἱοθεσίαν (or: τὸ πνεῦμα?) - - -] Rizos<br><br>II:<br><br>[ ].̣ω.[....]̣λου μ̣α[ ]<br>[ ]̣ωρειν καὶ ὑποκεκλ̣ί[σθαι ]<br>[ ] ̣ἁ̣γ̣ι̣ωτ(άτου) μάρτυρος Πολυκάρπο[υ τοιοῦτο]<br>[προνό]μιον ἐσχηκότος. οὐ γὰρ ἑτέρ[α τούτῳ τῆς]<br>[ἁγιό]τητος οὐδὲ τῆς ἱερωύνης ̣δ[ιδασκαλία]<br>[ἢ παρ]̣ὰ τῶν ἀποστόλων τε καὶ μαθ[ητῶν τοῦ θ(εο)ῦ,]<br>[οὐδὲ] ἂν οὐδὲ αὐτὸς ἀποδέξοιτο, Σ̣μ[υρναίους]<br>[εἰ τ]ῷ καθ’ ὑμᾶς ἀποστολικῷ τε̣μ[ένει (?) ]<br>[ ]ειν ἐπιχειροῖεν [ ]<br>[ ] ἐξ οὗ καὶ αὐ[ ]<br>[ ] ἀριθμηθ[ ]<br>[ ]̣α̣ι̣κ[ ]<br><br>II. 1. μεγά]̣λου μ̣ά[ρτυρος (?) Feissel || 2-3 ...ρειν καὶ ὑποκεκλ[ιμένου ἄρ|χειν ἄτε τῆς τοῦ ἁγι]ωτs Keil, ]̣ωρειν Wankel, ὀλιγ]̣ωρεῖν Merkelbach || 3-4. Πολυκάρπο[υ ἐπισκο|πῆς τὸ προνό]μιον Keil Wankel, Πολυκάρπο[υ τὸ ἱερώ|τατον μνη]μῖον Keil || 4-5. ἕτερ[ος τούτω πε|ρὶ τῆς ὁσιό]τητος Keil Wankel || 5-6. ἂ[ν ἁμιλλη|θείη. ἀλλὰ] τῶν Keil Wankel || 6-7. μαθ[ητῶν τὴν ἐξαί|ρετον δόξ]αν Keil Wankel, κυριώ|τεραν δόξ]αν Crönert || 7-8. Σ[μυρναῖοί τε | εἴ τίνες τ]ῶ Keil, Σμ[υρναῖοι Wankel || 8-9. Τει[μοθέω αὐτὴν | περιβάλλ]ειν Keil Wankel (omisit αὐτὴν) || 7-9. Σ̣μ[υρναῖοι δὲ εἰ | τῇ αὐτῇ τ]ῷ καθ’ ὑμᾶς ἀποστολικῷ τει[μῇ θρόνῳ ἑαυτοὺς | περιβαλ]εῖν ἐπιχειροῖεν [- - -] Rizos || 9-12. [οὐδαμῶς ἂν γνώμην συγ|καταθεῖντο.] ἐξ οὗ καὶ αὐ[τοκέφαλος γενέσθαι καὶ ἐν | ἀρχιεπισκόποις] ἀριθμηθ[ῆναι ὁ Σμυρναίων θρόνος | ἠξιώθη] Keil, omisit Wankel.<br><br>III/1:<br><br> ].̣δ[<br> π]εριβλ[επτ-<br> τ]̣οῖς δὲ [<br> ]ν̣ο̣σ[<br><br>III/2:<br><br> ].ο[<br> ]το̣υ[<br> ]νολ[<br> ]συγ[<br> ]ιο̣υ[<br><br>III/3:<br><br> ]ΜΕ̣Ι[<br> ]ΕΡΑΤ[<br> ]̣τέραν [<br> ]. Τ̣Ι.[<br><br>'[- - -] and that he was deemed worthy of such [- - -] and he was called the most beloved disciple [above all others], and, firstly, he was to repose on the chest [of the Lord], and thence [he received] those words, through which [he gave] to us his divine and indescribable theology, and for this reason he was justly called the Son of Thunder, because he spoke [nothing] of human provenance, but from Heaven did he reveal for [us] the most occult of teachings. Such was the greatness of [- - -] that God, addressing his holy and [forever Virgin (?)] real mother, [- - - the most holy] Apostle was [her son (?) - - -] mother being present [- - -] of the holy Apostle [- - -] <br><br>[- - - of the great martyr (?) - - -] to be inclined (?) [- - - ] of the most holy martyr Polycarp who had [such privilege]. And he did not receive any [teachings] on holiness and priesthood other than [from] the Apostles and Disciples [of God (?)]. And he himself would not approve that if the citizens of Smyrna would have attempted to [- - -] for your apostolic [sanctuary - - -]' <br><br>Text: Feissel, D., "Acte de Justinien mettant en parallèle saint Jean et saint Polycarpe" (forthcoming, kindly shared by Denis Feissel in a letter dated 17.09.2016.). Translation: E. Rizos, P. Nowakowski.