Green and Blue

ΦΩΚΑ ΤΟΝ
ΣΕΒΕΣΤΑΤΟΝ
ἡμῶν δεσπότην
πολλὰ τὰ ἔτη

Text B Lower

Τόπος διαφέρων
τοῖς Βενέτοις

Upper

“To Phocas, our most august lord, for many years.”

Lower 
“Place belonging to the Veneti (the Blues).”

Total preserved height of the monument (excluding foundations): 4.70 m

• Base: 2 m high, 1.53 m wide

• Square plinth: 1.90 m per side, 0.50 m high

• Octagon: sides 0.80 m, height 0.50 m

• Three circular mouldings: total height 0.50 m

• Cylindrical element: 1.20 m high

• Archaeological and functional context

The monument was discovered deeply buried within one of the large archaeological mounds (akwdm) located south of Oxyrhynchos, an area previously believed to contain only Islamic-period material. Its monumental dimensions and complex architectural design indicate that it originally formed part of a public and representative urban space. The explicit mention of the circus faction of the Veneti (the Blues) strongly suggests a functional connection with public spectacles, most probably a hippodrome or a ceremonial area associated with games and factional assemblies. In Late Antique cities, such spaces were carefully organized, with clearly defined and officially recognized sectors reserved for different factions, and the monument likely served as a marker of such an assigned area.

• Material description, condition, and visible composition

The structure is entirely made of stone and exhibits a carefully planned architectural composition. It consists of a stepped base, a square plinth, an octagonal element, three circular mouldings, and an upper cylindrical block originally intended to support a column, now missing. The preserved height of the monument, excluding the foundations, is approximately 4.70 meters. Despite the loss of the column, the monument is otherwise well preserved, and the inscriptions are clearly legible. The use of geometric forms such as the octagon and the cylinder is characteristic of Late Antique monumental architecture and emphasizes the symbolic and public nature of the structure.

• The inscription: reading, language, and chronological meaning

The monument bears two Greek inscriptions executed in a uniform Late Byzantine script. The upper inscription, carved on the cylindrical element, reads: “To Phocas, our most august lord, for many years,” employing a standard imperial acclamatory formula typical of the late sixth and early seventh centuries AD. This confirms the honorific character of the monument and its ideological alignment with imperial authority. The lower inscription, carved on the western face of the octagon, states: “Place belonging to the Veneti.” The expression τόπος διαφέρων indicates formal attribution or official possession, implying that the space marked by the monument was reserved for the Blue faction. On historical grounds, the inscriptions should be dated to a period after AD 607, when Emperor Phocas shifted his political support toward the Blues.

• Iconographic reading

Although no figurative decoration has been preserved, the monument itself functions as a powerful iconographic statement. Its verticality, scale, and architectural articulation emphasize imperial authority and public visibility, while the inscriptions replace figural imagery as the primary conveyors of meaning. The combination of imperial dedication and factional identification transforms the structure into a symbolic marker of political allegiance and urban identity. The presence of nearby architectural remains and traces of a hieroglyphic cartouche suggests possible reuse of the area and the integration of older monumental elements into the Late Antique urban landscape.

• Interpretative synthesis

Taken together, the two inscriptions constitute exceptional evidence for the political, social, and spatial role of circus factions in Byzantine Egypt. They demonstrate that the Veneti were organized groups with officially recognized urban spaces, even in provincial cities such as Oxyrhynchos. The monument reflects the extension of Constantinopolitan factional politics into Egypt and illustrates the close relationship between local factions and imperial authority during the reign of Phocas. Its survival after the fall of the emperor can be explained by the pacifying policies implemented by Nicetas following the victory of Heraclius, which prevented the systematic destruction of monuments associated with the defeated regime. As such, the monument represents a rare and valuable epigraphic document for understanding factional organization, imperial propaganda, and urban space management in Late Antique Egypt.