Presbyters Uniwersytet Warszawski
ID
ER 1840
record image
Funerary inscription of Presbyter Polibius (or: Olybrius), Vienne (Gaul), ca 550/650.
[In hunc] tumolum requies[?cunt mem]-
[?bra......]olibi pri(s)b(yteri), qui primo [...]
[.............] consiensia, fede puru[s, ...]
[.............] prouedus, beneg[nus ...]
[.............]ans, amatus [...];
[uixit ann]us p(lus) me[n(us) ...]
[.................................................]
 
(Recueil des inscriptions chrétiennes de la Gaule: XV, 73)
In this tomb lie [the limbs?] of Presbyter [P?]olibius who at first ..., ... (conscientia), of pure faith, ... prudent, kind, beloved; lived about ...
 
(trans. J. Szafranowski)

Discussion:

It is quite probable that the original inscription was carved in the name of Polibius. Olibi is, however, a testified genitive of the name Olybrius. The contraction PRIB, although certainly denoting a presbyter, is completely unique. The I should probably be read as "E"; the form PREB is quite common.
 
The dating of the second half of the 6th, or even more probably the first half of the 7th century follows that of RICG, which is, in turn, based on the linguistic analysis and the similarity to the other inscriptions from this period.
 
Surprisingly, Olybrius/Polibius is not listed under either of these names in PCBE Gaule, not even in the section containing fragmented names.

Place of event:

Region
  • Gaul
City
  • Vienne

About the source:

Origin: Vienne (Gaul)
This inscription is known only from the 17th century sketch made by Nicolas Chorier (see edition and picture). According to him, it was located in the chapel of St. Theodore which was on the left side, beneath the main altar. (Note that RICG XV, 73 confuses its location with that of a previous inscription described by Chorier.) Cochard, who edited the second edition of Chorier`s work from 1828, considered the inscription to have been lost in the beginning of 19th century when the church served as storage.
Edition:
F. Descombes (ed.), Recueil des inscriptions chrétiennes de la Gaule, vol. XV, Paris 1985, no. XV, 73.
Trismegistos no. 439112
Epigraphik Datenbank Clauss/Slaby no. EDCS-08501887 (ill.)
O. Hirschfeld (ed.), Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum, vol. XII, Berlin 1888, 2153.
E. Diehl (ed.), Inscriptiones Latinae christianae veteres, vol. 1, Berlin 1924/1925, no. 1167.
D. Cabrol, H. Leclercq, H.I. Marrou (eds.), Dictionnaire d`archéologie chrétienne et de liturgie, XV, 2, s.u. Vienne, col. 3082, 39.
E. Le Blant (ed.), Inscriptions chrétiennes de la Gaule antérieures au VIIIe siècle, Paris 1856-1865, no. 428.
A. Allmer (ed.), Inscriptions antiques et du Moyen Age de Vienne en Dauphiné. Première partie, Inscriptions antiques antérieures au VIIIe siècle, vol. IV, Paris 1876, no. 1844.
N. Chorier, Les recherches du sieur Chorier sur les antiquitez de la ville de Vienne, Lyon 1658, p. 42; 2nd ed. by Cochard (Lyon 1828), p. 45.

Categories:

Burial/Funerary inscription
Functions within the Church - Urban presbyter
Described by a title - Presbyter/πρεσβύτερος
Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL: J. Szafranowski, Presbyters in the Late Antique West, ER1840, http://www.presbytersproject.ihuw.pl/index.php?id=6&SourceID=1840