1. Journal of Ancient History 1 (280)
  2. Some Observations on the Paleography of Early Byzantine Inscriptions in the North Pontic Area

Some Observations on the Paleography of Early Byzantine Inscriptions in the North Pontic Area

Vinogradov Andrei Yu.

On the basis of various criteria and chronological data the author describes two local schools in early Byzantine stone carving – Chersonesian and Bosporan, and traces their evolution. The main developing element of early Byzantantine paleography in Chersonesus is alpha, whose crossbar is broken in the 4th and in the 6th–7th centuries and sloping in the late 4th–6th centuries. Two styles coexist on Bosporus in the 6th century: (1) all letter forms are rectangular, alpha having a sloping crossbar; (2) the letter forms preserve curved elements, alpha having a broken crossbar. Later in the 4th century a new koine develops from a combination of those two styles: its letter forms are rectangular, but alpha has a broken crossbar. But at least from the 5th century on a cursive script and a formal script consisting of rounded letter forms only are attested as well in the area. The results of the analysis can be used for dating of new-found inscriptions. In the supplement the author gives a full list of early Byzantine inscriptions from Chersonesus and Bosporus.

Keywords: epigraphy, Chersonesos, Bosporus, late antiquity, Byzantium, paleography
References:
  1. Blavatskij V.D. 1956: Raskopki Pantikapeja v 1953 g. // KSIIMK. 63, 109‒123.
  2. Vinogradov A.Ju. 2001: K datirovke nadpisi Justiniana s Mangupa // ANACHARSIS. Pamjati Ju.G. Vinogradova (Hersonesskij sbornik, 11). Sevastopol', 70–71.
  3. Vinogradov A.Ju. 2005: Hersonesskij hram sv. Petra i ego jepigraficheskie pamjatniki // Hersonesskij sbornik. 14, 91–93.
  4. Vinogradov A.Ju. 2009: Zagorodnyj krestoobraznyj hram v Hersonese i ego nadpisi // Voprosy jepigrafiki. 3, 226–249.
  5. Vinogradov A.Ju. 2010: «Minovala uzhe zima jazycheskogo bezumija…» Cerkov' i cerkvi Hersona v IV veke po dannym literaturnyh istochnikov i jepigrafiki. M.
  6. Vinogradov Ju.G. 1998: Pozdneantichnyj Bospor i rannjaja Vizantija (v svete datirovannyh bosporskih nadpisej V veka) // VDI. 1, 238–239.
  7. Kulakovskij Ju.A. 1891: Kerchenskaja hristianskaja katakomba 491 g. // MAR. 6.
  8. Kulakovskij Ju.A. 1896: Dve kerchenskie katakomby s freskami // MAR. 19.
  9. Latyshev V.V. 1899: Grecheskie i latinskie nadpisi, najdennye v Juzhnoj Rossii v 1895–1898 gg. // MAR. 23.
  10. Latyshev V.V. 1902: Grecheskie i latinskie nadpisi, najdennye v Juzhnoj Rossii v 1901 g. // IAK. 3, 21–57.
  11. Latyshev V.V. 1904: Jepigraficheskie nahodki 1901–1903 godov // IAK. 10, 1–91.
  12. Latyshev V.V. 1905: Jepigraficheskie novosti iz Juzhnoj Rossii // IAK. 14, 94‒137.
  13. Latyshev V.V. 1906: Jepigraficheskie novosti iz Juzhnoj Rossii // IAK. 18, 95‒137.
  14. Latyshev V.V. 1907: Jepigraficheskie novosti iz Juzhnoj Rossii // IAK. 23, 28‒48.
  15. Latyshev V.V. 1908: Jepigraficheskie novosti iz Juzhnoj Rossii // IAK. 27, 15‒41.
  16. Latyshev V.V. 1909: Jepigraficheskie novosti iz Juzhnoj Rossii // IAK. 33, 41‒49.
  17. Latyshev V.V. 1912: Zametki k Hersonesskim nadpisjam, izdannym R.H. Leperom // IAK. 45, 132‒136.
  18. Marti Ju.Ju. 1911: Tri hristianskie nadgrobija, priobretennye dlja Melek-Chesmenskogo kurgana v 1908 i 1909 g. // ZOOID. 29, protokoly, 4–11.
  19. Marti Ju.Ju. 1913: Opisanie Melek-Chesmenskogo kurgana i ego pamjatnikov v svjazi s istoriej Bosporskogo carstva // ZOOID. 31, pril.
  20. Molev E.A. 1978: Novye jepigraficheskie nahodki iz Kerchi // VDI. 2, 130‒134.
  21. Sbornik – Latyshev V.V. 1896: Sbornik grecheskih nadpisej hristianskih vremen iz Juzhnoj Rossii. SPb.
  22. Solomonik Je.I. 1986: Nekotorye novye grecheskie nadpisi srednevekovogo Kryma // VV. 47, 210–218.
  23. Solomonik Je.I. 1991: Novye grecheskie lapidarnye nadpisi srednevekovogo Kryma // Vizantijskaja Tavrika. Kiev, 172‒178.
  24. Shkorpil V.V. 1898: Kamni s grecheskimi nadpisjami, postupivshie v Melek-Chesmenskij muzej v 1896 g. // ZOOID. 21, 192–210.
  25. Shkorpil V.V. 1900: Tri hristianskie nadgrobija // ZOOID. 22, protokoly, 59–60.
  26. Shkorpil V.V. 1901: Bosporskie nadpisi, priobretennye Melek-Chesmenskim muzeem v 1900 godu // ZOOID. 23, 62–73
  27. Shkorpil V.V. 1912: Bosporskie nadpisi, najdennye v 1911 g. // IAK. 45, 9‒22.
  28. Shkorpil V.V. 1914: Bosporskie nadpisi, najdennye v 1913 g. // IAK. 54, 65‒82.
  29. Reynolds J. 1960: The Christian Inscriptions of Cyrenaica // Journal of Theological Studies N.S. 11, 2, 284–294.
  30. Şahin S. 1978: Bithynische Studien. Bonn (Inschriften griechischer Städte aus Kleinasien. 7).
  31. Vinogradov A. 2007: Von der antiken zur christlichen Koine: typische und untypische Inschriften des nördlichen Schwarzmeerraums // Une koiné pontique / Par A. Bresson, A. Ivanchik et J.-L. Ferrary. Bordeaux, 255–267.