Ramsay, William Mitchell: The cities and bishoprics of Phrygia: being an essay of the local history of Phrygia from the earliest time to the Turkish conquest (Band 1,2): West and West-Central Phrygia (Oxford, 1897)

490 XII. CHRISTIAN INSCRIPTIONS OF S.W. PHRYGIA.

no. 404 (the monument probably was sepulchral, but its mutilated
state makes certainty impossible). The monograms *, >£, A>£(ji),
AGO, occur sometimes, no. 371,443, 673,690 ; the dove only in no. 690.

The palm and the vase, though common in the West, are rare in
Phrygia: the vase occurs in no. 388, and the palm no. 401, 662. More-
over the palm is perhaps intended in no. 654 J (in which case no. 350,
which I have long suspected for other reasons, would also be Chr.).

Probably none of these symbols was exclusively Christian. The
fish, the anchor, &c. are found on pagan monuments, though very
rarely (Le Blant II p. 312); and probably every symbol which was
publicly used by the Chr. during the third century was selected,
because it was also in pagan use and would therefore be less likely
to attract special attention.

But it may probably be found that such symbols are commoner
than is supposed in the Phrygian inscr. They are generally rude
in outline, and so unobtrusive, that they often escape the notice of
travellers, even of archaeologists, who are not on the outlook for
them ; and I am quite prepared to learn that later travellers discover
Chr. symbols accompanying several of the inscr. published in this
chapter. For example, no. 401 is published in BCH 1893 p. 246;
but the palm-branch and other symbols shown in my illustration are
not noticed. When I copied the inscr. I did not recognize the im-
portance of the palm; but, being struck with the number of marks
and symbols, half effaced by time, above and below the inscr., I made
the rough sketch reproduced on p. 540. It was only when the study
of De Rossi's and Le Blant's and Cumont's works had revealed to me
the importance of the monumental symbolism, that I observed in this
and other rough sketches in my note-books early examples of symbols
well known in other lands.

In a few Phrygian inscr., chiefly N., but also sporadically S.
(no. 393), the dead and the survivors are proclaimed as Christians.

1 M. Cumont p. 11 note I takes these a line (as in BCH 1893 p. 274 no. 70), or
palmettes unhesitatingly as palms ; but to fill up a blank space at the end of
they are also used as ornaments in an inscr., or where two palmettes form
pagan inscriptions, sometimes appa- a symmetrical ornament at each end
rently as punctuation marks, and I did of a short line (as is the case with the
not connect them even by hypothesis last line of no. 78], it would be unjusti-
with Chr. symbolism, till I read his fiable to dream of Chr. origin: but
note. These symbols occur on inscr. where the palmette is used very often
which are certainly Chr. no. 654 and in the text (as in no. 350) or is employed
Le Blant I fig. 15, 38, 44 &c. Certainly, as a symbol apart from the text (as in
where a single palmette is used in the no. 654), it may be adduced in con-
text of an inscr. to mark the end of firmation of other signs of Chr. feeling.