E01764: Greek inscription with the petition of a presbyter, asking the emperor Tiberius II to grant boundary stones, marking the area of asylum of an oratory (eukterios oikos) possibly dedicated to a female martyr. Provenance: probably the village of 'Chedara' in the Roman province of Phoenicia (near Tyre). Dated 578-582.
Creators: name: Bryan
name: Nikolaos
Publisher: name: University of Oxford
Year: 2016
Subjects: History

description: [τῷ γῆς κ(αὶ) θαλάσσης κ(αὶ) παντὸς] ἀ̣ν(θρώπ)ων ἔθνους (καὶ) γένους δεσπό(τῃ) Φλ(αουίῳ) Τιβερίῳ <br>[νέῳ Κωνσταντίνῳ ἐν Χ(ριστ)]ῷ̣ ἡμερωτά(τῳ) μεγίστῳ εὐεργέτῃ τῷ αἰωνίῳ Αὐγ(ο)ύ(στῳ) <br>[κ(αὶ) Αὐτοκράτορι δέησις κ(αὶ) ἱκε]σ̣ία πα(ρὰ) Ἀναστασίου πρε(σβυτέρου) παραμο(ναρίου) εὐκτηρίου οἴκου <br>(4) [τῆς ἁγίας μάρτυρος Χριστίν]ης τοῦ ὄντος κ(αὶ) διακειμέ(νου) ἐν κώμῃ Χεδάρων διαφερού(σῃ) <br>[τῆς - - - πόλεω]ς ἐπαρχίας Φοινίκης Παράλου. ὅσα πρὸς τιμὴν τοῦ <br>[θ(εο)ῦ κ(αὶ) Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν κ(αὶ) τῆς] ἁγιωτά(της) αὐτοῦ ἐκκλ(ησίας) συντείνει, ἑτοίμως παρέχειν [εἴωθε τὸ θεοφύλακτό]ν σου κράτος· τούτῳ θαρρῶν κἀγὼ ἐπὶ τάσδε ἐλήλυ- <br>(8) [θα τὰς δεήσεις, δι’ ἃς ἐν] τούτοις ἐν τῷ εἰρημέ(νῳ) εὐκτηρίῳ οἴκῳ ὑπὲρ τῆς ὑμε(τέρας) [βασιλείας, σωτηρίας καὶ νίκ]ης ἀναπέμπονται εὐχαί. ἐπεὶ οὖν λείπεται ὁ αὐτὸς <br>[εὐκτήριος οἶκος ὅρ]ων ἀσφαλείας διά τε τοὺς ἐκεῖσε προσφεύγοντας κ(αὶ) <br>[κοσμίως τε καὶ ὁσίως τὰ τῆς ἱκε]τίας ἐκτελοῦντας κ(αὶ) τοὺς οὐχ ὑγιῶς τοῖς θείοις<br>(12) [χρωμένους σηκοῖς, δέομ]αι προκυλινδόμενος τῶν θείων ὑμῶν κ(αὶ) <br>[ἀχράντων ἰχνῶν] θεσπίσαι ὅρους ἀσυλίας παρασχεθῆναι <br>[τῷ εἰρημένῳ εὐκτηρίῳ οἴκῳ δ]ιὰ τοῦ θεοφιλ(εστάτου) τῆς εἰρημένης πόλεως ἐπισκό(που).<br><br>4. Χριστίν]ης Rey-Coquais Robert Halkin, Εἰρήν]ης Dain &amp; Ruillard, Θεομν]ήστου or Χρ]ήστου or ἀτειχ]ήστου Gatier || 5. [τῆς Πανεάδος πόλεω]ς Dussaud || 12-13. [δέομ]αι προκυλινδόμενος τῶν θείων ὑμῶν κ(αὶ) | [ἀχράντων ἰχνῶν] θεσπίσαι Feissel &amp; Worp, πάρειμ]ι προκυλινδόμενος τῶν θείων ὑμῶν κ(αὶ) | [προσκυνητῶν ἰχνῶν, αἰτῶν] θεσπίσαι Dain &amp; Ruillard<br><br>'[The petition] and supplication from Anastasios, the presbyter and watchman (paramonarios) of the oratory (eukterios oikos) [of the holy martyr Christina (?)], which is situated in the village of Chedara, belonging to (the territory) [of the --- city] of the province of Phoenicia Maritima (Paralia) to the master of [the earth and sea and every] human race and ethnos, Flavius Tiberius, [the new Constantine, in Christ], the most benign benefactor, the eternal Augustus [and Emperor].<br><br>As your protected-by-God power is used to voluntarily provide everything which magnifies [the glory of God and our Saviour and] his most holy Church, I also, take the courage to formulate [these requests, just as] here, in the aforementioned oratory (eukterios oikos), prayers are celebrated for your [rule, and salvation, and] victory.<br><br>And because this [oratory (eukterios oikos)] lacks the boundaries of safety (horoi asphaleias), which are needed for those who take refuge here and [orderly and piously] perform their supplications, as well as for those who [use] the divine [shrines (sekoi)] in an unhealthy manner, I beg you, having prostrated myself before your divine and [immaculate feet], to decree that the boundaries of the asylum zone (horoi asylias) shall be granted [to the aforementioned oratory (eukterios oikos)], through the most God-fearing bishop of the said city (polis).'<br><br>Text: SEG 7, 327 with completions by Feissel &amp; Worp 1988 and Rey-Coquais 2005. Translation: P. Nowakowski.