The inscription of Abercius is the
Greek
Greek may refer to:
Greece
Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe:
*Greeks, an ethnic group.
*Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family.
**Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...
epitaph
An epitaph (; ) is a short text honoring a deceased person. Strictly speaking, it refers to text that is inscribed on a tombstone or plaque, but it may also be used in a figurative sense. Some epitaphs are specified by the person themselves be ...
of
Abercius,
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution.
In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is c ...
of
Hieropolis
Hierapolis (; grc, Ἱεράπολις, lit. "Holy City") was originally a Phrygian cult centre of the Anatolian mother goddess of Cybele and later a Greek city. Its location was centred upon the remarkable and copious hot springs in classica ...
(died ca. 167), in
Phrygia. It is an important example of
early Christian epigraphy.
Archeology and context
About the middle of the 2nd century, Abercius left his episcopal city and visited
Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus (legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
. On his way home he travelled through
Syria and
Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia ''Mesopotamíā''; ar, بِلَاد ٱلرَّافِدَيْن or ; syc, ܐܪܡ ܢܗܪ̈ܝܢ, or , ) is a historical region of Western Asia situated within the Tigris–Euphrates river system, in the northern part of the ...
, and was received with great honours in various places. He died shortly after his return to Hieropolis, but not before he had composed his own
epitaph
An epitaph (; ) is a short text honoring a deceased person. Strictly speaking, it refers to text that is inscribed on a tombstone or plaque, but it may also be used in a figurative sense. Some epitaphs are specified by the person themselves be ...
, conveying a most vivid impression of all he had admired during his stay in Rome. This epitaph may well have inspired the ''Life of Abercius'' such as it has come down to us, since all its details may be explained by the hints contained in the inscription, or else belong to the common foundation of all legends of
saints.
The ''Life'', as a matter of fact, includes a transcription of the epitaph.
Tillemont was greatly struck by the ideas therein expressed, and
Pitra endeavoured to prove its authenticity and its important bearing on
Christian symbolism.
Ernest Renan regarded both the Life and inscription as fanciful compositions, but in 1882 the Scottish archaeologist and scholar
William Ramsay
Sir William Ramsay (; 2 October 1852 – 23 July 1916) was a Scottish chemist who discovered the noble gases and received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1904 "in recognition of his services in the discovery of the inert gaseous element ...
discovered at
Kelendres, near
Synnada, in the
Roman province
The Roman provinces (Latin: ''provincia'', pl. ''provinciae'') were the administrative regions of Ancient Rome outside Roman Italy that were controlled by the Romans under the Roman Republic and later the Roman Empire. Each province was rule ...
of
Phrygia Salutaris
In classical antiquity, Phrygia ( ; grc, Φρυγία, ''Phrygía'' ) was a kingdom in the west central part of Anatolia, in what is now Asian Turkey, centered on the Sangarios River. After its conquest, it became a region of the great empire ...
(in
Asia Minor
Anatolia, tr, Anadolu Yarımadası), and the Anatolian plateau, also known as Asia Minor, is a large peninsula in Western Asia and the westernmost protrusion of the Asian continent. It constitutes the major part of modern-day Turkey. The re ...
, modern
Anatolia
Anatolia, tr, Anadolu Yarımadası), and the Anatolian plateau, also known as Asia Minor, is a large peninsula in Western Asia and the westernmost protrusion of the Asian continent. It constitutes the major part of modern-day Turkey. The ...
), a Christian
stele (inscribed slab) bearing the date of the year 300 of the
Phrygian era (AD 216). The inscription in question recalled the memory of a certain Alexander, son of Anthony.
De Rossi De Rossi () is an Italian surname, and may refer to:
Actresses
* Alessandra De Rossi (born 1984), Philippine actress
* Assunta De Rossi (born 1983), Philippine actress
*Barbara De Rossi (born 1960), Italian actress
*Portia de Rossi (born 1973), A ...
and
Duchesne Duchesne is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Joseph Duchesne (c. 1544–1609), French physician and chemist. Physician-in-ordinary to King Henry IV
* André Duchesne (1584–1640), French historian
* François Duchesne (1616 ...
at once recognized in it phrases similar to those in the epitaph of Abercius. On comparison it was found that the inscription in memory of Alexander corresponded, almost word for word, with the first and last verses of the epitaph of the
Bishop of Hieropolis; all the middle part was missing. Mr. Ramsay, on a second visit to the site of Hieropolis, in 1883, discovered two new fragments covered with inscriptions, built into the masonry of the
public baths
Public baths originated when most people in population centers did not have access to private bathing facilities. Though termed "public", they have often been restricted according to gender, religious affiliation, personal membership, and other cr ...
. These fragments, which are now in the
Vatican Christian Museum, filled out the middle part of the stele inscribed with the epitaph of Abercius.
Reconstructed epitaph
It now became possible, with the help of the text preserved in the Life, to restore the original text of the epitaph with practical certainty. Certain
lacuna
Lacuna (plural lacunas or lacunae) may refer to:
Related to the meaning "gap"
* Lacuna (manuscripts), a gap in a manuscript, inscription, text, painting, or musical work
** Great Lacuna, a lacuna of eight leaves where there was heroic Old Norse p ...
e, letters effaced or cut off by breaks in the stone, have been the subject of profound discussions, resulting in a text which may henceforth be looked on as settled, which it may be useful to give here.
The capital letters at the beginning and end of the inscription represent the parts found on the inscription of Alexander, the son of Anthony, those of the middle part are the remaining fragments of the epitaph of Abercius, while the small letters give the reading according to the manuscripts of the Life:
The citizen of a chosen city, this onumentI made hile
Hile ( ne, हिले) is a hill town located in the Eastern Part of Nepal, 13 km north of the regional center of Dhankuta Bazar. At an elevation of 1948 meters, it is the main route to other hilly districts like Bhojpur and Sankhuwasab ...
living, that there I might have in time a resting-place of my body, being by name Abercius, the disciple of a holy shepherd who feeds flocks of sheep othon mountains and on plains, who has great eyes that see everywhere. For this hepherdtaught me hat the
A hat is a head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorporate mecha ...
book f lifeis worthy of belief. And to Rome he sent me to contemplate majesty, and to see a queen golden-robed and golden-sandalled; there also I saw a people bearing a shining mark. And I saw the land of Syria and all tscities; Nisibis
Nusaybin (; '; ar, نُصَيْبِيْن, translit=Nuṣaybīn; syr, ܢܨܝܒܝܢ, translit=Nṣībīn), historically known as Nisibis () or Nesbin, is a city in Mardin Province, Turkey. The population of the city is 83,832 as of 2009 and is ...
sawwhen I passed over Euphrates. But everywhere I had brethren. I had Paul ... Faith everywhere led me forward, and everywhere provided as my food a fish of exceeding great size, and perfect, which a holy virgin drew with her hands from a fountain and this it aith
Aith, ( Shetland dialect: Eid, Old Norse: ''Eið'', meaning Isthmus, cf Eday), is a village on the Northern coast of the West Shetland Mainland, Scotland at the southern end of Aith Voe, some west of Lerwick.
Aith lies on the B9071 that runs s ...
ever gives to its friends to eat, it having wine of great virtue, and giving it mingled with bread. These things I, Abercius, having been a witness f them
F, or f, is the sixth letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''ef'' (pronounced ), and the plural is ''efs''.
Hist ...
told to be written here. Verily I was passing through my seventy-second year. He that discerneth these things, every fellow-believer amely let him pray for Abercius. And no one shall put another grave over my grave; but if he do, then shall he pay to the treasury of heRomans two thousand pieces of gold and to my good native city of Hieropolis one thousand pieces of gold.
Theories and conclusions
The interpretation of this inscription has stimulated ingenious efforts and very animated controversies. In 1894 G. Ficker, supported by
Otto Hirschfeld
Otto Hirschfeld (March 16, 1843 – March 27, 1922) was a German epigraphist and professor of ancient history who was a native of Königsberg.
In 1863 received a doctorate from the University of Königsberg, and in 1869 became a professor at th ...
, strove to prove that Abercius was a priest of the mother goddess
Cybele
Cybele ( ; Phrygian language, Phrygian: ''Matar Kubileya/Kubeleya'' "Kubileya/Kubeleya Mother", perhaps "Mountain Mother"; Lydian language, Lydian ''Kuvava''; el, Κυβέλη ''Kybele'', ''Kybebe'', ''Kybelis'') is an Anatolian mother godde ...
. In 1895
Adolf von Harnack offered an explanation which was sufficiently obscure, making Abercius the representative of an ill-defined religious
syncretism arbitrarily combined in such a fashion as to explain all portions of the inscription which were otherwise inexplicable. In 1896,
Albrecht Dieterich made Abercius a priest of
Attis
Attis (; grc-gre, Ἄττις, also , , ) was the consort of Cybele, in Phrygian and Greek mythology.
His priests were eunuchs, the ''Galli'', as explained by origin myths pertaining to Attis castrating himself. Attis was also a Phrygian v ...
. These plausible theories have been refuted by several learned archaeologists, especially by De Rossi, Duchesne and
Franz Cumont
__NOTOC__
Franz-Valéry-Marie Cumont (3 January 1868 in Aalst, Belgium – 20 August 1947 in Woluwe-Saint-Pierre near Brussels) was a Belgian archaeologist and historian, a philologist and student of epigraphy, who brought these often isolated ...
. Nor is there any further need to enter into the questions raised in one quarter or another; the following conclusions are indisputably historical.
The epitaph of Abercius is generally, and with good reason, regarded as older than that of Alexander, the son of Anthony, i.e. prior to the year 216 AD. The subject of it may be identified with a writer named
Abercius Marcellus, author of a work against the
Montanists, some fragments of which have been preserved by
Eusebius
Eusebius of Caesarea (; grc-gre, Εὐσέβιος ; 260/265 – 30 May 339), also known as Eusebius Pamphilus (from the grc-gre, Εὐσέβιος τοῦ Παμφίλου), was a Greek historian of Christianity, exegete, and Chris ...
. As that treatise was written about the year 193, the epitaph may be assigned to the last years of the second, or to the beginning of the third, century.
The writer was bishop of a little town, the name of which is wrongly given in the Life, since he belongs to Hieropolis in
Phrygia Salutaris
In classical antiquity, Phrygia ( ; grc, Φρυγία, ''Phrygía'' ) was a kingdom in the west central part of Anatolia, in what is now Asian Turkey, centered on the Sangarios River. After its conquest, it became a region of the great empire ...
, and not to Hierapolis in
Phrygia Pacatiensis. The proof of this fact given by Duchesne is all that could be wished for. The text of the inscription itself is of the greatest possible importance in connection with the symbolism of the early church. The poem of sixteen verses which forms the epitaph shows plainly that the language used is one not understood by all: Let the brother who shall understand this pray for Abercius.
The bishop's journey to Rome is merely mentioned, but on his way home he gives us the principal stages of his itinerary. He passed along the Syrian coast and possibly came to
Antioch
Antioch on the Orontes (; grc-gre, Ἀντιόχεια ἡ ἐπὶ Ὀρόντου, ''Antiókheia hē epì Oróntou'', Learned ; also Syrian Antioch) grc-koi, Ἀντιόχεια ἡ ἐπὶ Ὀρόντου; or Ἀντιόχεια ἡ ἐπ ...
, thence to Nisibis, after having traversed the whole of Syria, while his return to Hieropolis may have been by way of
Edessa. The allusion to the
Apostle Paul, which a gap in the text renders indecipherable, may originally have told how the traveler followed on his way back to his country the stages of Paul's third missionary journey, namely:
Issus,
Tarsus,
Derbe
Derbe or Dervi ( gr, Δέρβη), also called Derveia ( gr, Δέρβεια), was a city of Galatia in Asia Minor, and later of Lycaonia, and still later of Isauria and Cappadocia. It is mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles at , , and . Derbe ...
,
Iconium,
Antioch in Pisidia
Antioch in Pisidia – alternatively Antiochia in Pisidia or Pisidian Antioch ( el, Ἀντιόχεια τῆς Πισιδίας) and in Roman Empire, Latin: ''Antiochia Caesareia'' or ''Antiochia Colonia Caesarea'' – was a city in th ...
and
Apamea Cibotus, which would bring him into the heart of Phrygia.
The inscription bears witness of no slight value to the importance of the
church of Rome in the 2nd century. A mere glance at the text allows us to note:
# The evidence of
baptism
Baptism (from grc-x-koine, βάπτισμα, váptisma) is a form of ritual purification—a characteristic of many religions throughout time and geography. In Christianity, it is a Christian sacrament of initiation and adoption, almost ...
which marks the Christian people with its dazzling seal;
# The spread of
Christianity
Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global pop ...
, whose members Abercius meets with everywhere;
# The receiving of
Jesus
Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label= Hebrew/ Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religiou ...
, the Son of God and of Mary, in the
Eucharist
The Eucharist (; from Greek , , ), also known as Holy Communion and the Lord's Supper, is a Christian rite that is considered a sacrament in most churches, and as an ordinance in others. According to the New Testament, the rite was instit ...
,
# The receiving of the Eucharist under the species of Bread and Wine.
# The belief in prayers for the dead amongst the Christian people
The liturgical cultus of Abercius presents no point of special interest; his name appears for the first time in the Greek
menologies and
synaxaries of the 10th century, but is not found in the
Martyrology of St. Jerome.
Pliny the Elder
Gaius Plinius Secundus (AD 23/2479), called Pliny the Elder (), was a Roman author, naturalist and natural philosopher, and naval and army commander of the early Roman Empire, and a friend of the emperor Vespasian. He wrote the encyclopedic ' ...
wrote that empress
Agrippina the Younger (AD 49 - 54) was '"attired in a military scarf made entirely of woven gold without any other material" (Natural History, XXXIII.19)
which might be an allusion to the "queen golden-robed and golden-sandalled".
Aures was a gold coin of ancient Rome which might be an allusion to the "shining mark".
References
*{{Catholic, wstitle=Inscription of Abercius
External links
Greek text - SEG 30.1479from
Packard Humanities Institute.
Abercius
2nd-century Christian texts
2nd-century inscriptions
Abercius
Roman Phrygia