Social:Stele of Serapeitis
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Short description: Funerary stele with inscriptions written in Greek and Armazic (150 AD)
| Stele of Serapeitis | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Material | Stone |
| Writing | Ancient Greek and Aramaic |
| Created | 150 AD |
| Discovered | 1940 |
| Place | Armazi |
| Present location | Georgian National Museum, Rustaveli Avenue, Tbilisi, Georgia |
The Stele of Serapeitis[a] (Georgian: სერაფიტას სტელა) is a funerary stele with bilingual inscriptions written in Ancient Greek and Armazic,[1] a local idiom of Aramaic, found in 1940, at Armazi, near Mtskheta, in the ancient capital of the Kingdom of Iberia. The stele memorialises a short-lived Georgian princess named Serapeitis.[2] The inscriptions mention Georgian monarchs, Pharnavaz I and Pharasmanes II, and other members of aristocracy.[3] The inscriptions are dated 150 AD.[4][5] It is known as KAI 276.
Inscriptions
Ancient Greek inscription
- CHPAΠEITIC ZHOΥAXOΥ
- TOΥ NEΩTEPOΥ ΠITIAΞOΥ
- ΘΥΓATHP ΠOΥΠΛIKIOΥ AΓPIΠΠA ΠITI
- AΞOΥ ΥIOΥ IΩΔMANΓANOΥ ΓΥNH
- TOΥ ΠOΛΛAC NEIKAC ΠOIHCANTOC
- EΠITPOΠOΥ BACIΛEΩC IBHPΩN
- MEΓAΛOΥ ΞEΦAPNOΥΓOΥ AΠE
- ΘANE NEΩTEPA ETΩN K—A
- HTIC TO KAΛΛOC AMEIMHTON
- EIXE[6]
- Serapeitis, daughter of Zeouach the Younger, pitiaxes, wife of Iodmanganos, son of Publicius Agrippa, pitiaxes, who won many battles as epitropos of the great king of the Iberians, Xepharnougos. She died, younger than twenty-one years, who had inimitable beauty.[3]
Aramaic inscription
- I am Serapit, daughter of Zewah the Younger, pitiaxes of King Pharasmanes, wife of Yodmangan the victorious and winner of many victories, master of the court of King Xepharnougos and the son of Agrippa, master of the court of King Pharasmanes, victorious over the mighty, which Pharnavaz could not accomplish. Serapit was so fine and beautiful that no one was her equal in beauty. And she died in her twenty-first year.[3]
Notes
References
Bibliography
- Opper, T. (2013) Hadrian: Art, Politics and Economy, British Museum, ISBN:9780861591756
- Rapp, Stephen H. Jr (2014) The Sasanian World through Georgian Eyes: Caucasia and the Iranian Commonwealth in Late Antique Georgian Literature, Ashgate Publishing
- Lang, D. M. (1966) Landmarks in Georgian Literature, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of Michigan
Further reading
- Tsereteli, G. (1942) Armazi Bilingual, XIII, Tbilisi
- Shanidze, A. (1941) Bilinguals from Armazi, V. II, Tbilisi
- Kaukhchishvili, S. (1941) Greek inscriptions of Armazi, V. II, Tbilisi
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