Chatalar Inscription

The Chatalar Inscription is a medieval Greek inscribed text upon a column in the village of Chatalar (modern Han Krum, North East Bulgaria) by the Bulgarian Khan Omurtag (815-831). It was unearthed in 1899 by the archaeologists Fyodor Uspensky, M. Popruzhenko, Vasil Zlatarski and Karel Škorpil.

Text and translation

Original text English translation

ΚΑΝΑ CYΒΙΓΙ ΩΜΟΡΤΑΓ ΙC ΤΙΝ ΓΙΝ ΟΠΟΥ ΕΓΕΝΙΘΙΝ
ΕΚ ΘΕΟΥ ΑΡΧΟΝ ΕCΤΙ ΙC ΤΙC ΠΛCΚΣΑC ΤΟΝ ΚΑΝΠΟΝ
ΜΕΝΟΝΤΑ ΕΠΥΗCΕ ΑΥΛΙΝ ΙC ΤΙΝ ΤΟΥΝΤΖΑΝ ΚΕ
ΜΕΤΙΓΑΓΕΝ ΤΙΝ ΔΥΝΑΜΙΝ ΤΟΥ ΙC ΤΟΥΣ ΓΡΙΚΟΥC
ΚΕ CΚΛΑΒΟΥC ΚΕ ΤΕΧΝΕΟC ΕΠΥΗΣΕ ΓΕΦΥΡΑΝ ΙΣ ΤΙΝ ΤΟΥΝΤΖΑΝ
ΜΕ ΤΟ ΑΥΛΙΝ ΣΤΥΛΟΥΣ ΤΕΣΣΑΡΙC ΚΕ ΕΠΑΝΟ ΤΟΝ CΤΥΛΟΝ
ΕCΤΙCΕ ΛΕΟΝΤΑC ΔΥΟ Ο θΕΟC ΑΞΙΟCΙ ΤΟΝ ΕΚ ΘΕΟΥ ΑΡΧΟΝΤΑ
ΜΕ ΤΟΝ ΠΟΔΑ ΑΟΥΤΟΥ ΤΟΝ ΒΑΣΙΛΕΑ ΚΑΛΟΠΑΤΟΥΝΤΑ
ΕΟC ΤΡΕΧΙ Η ΤΟΥΝΤΖΑ [---- ΚΕ ΕΟΣ ΤΟΥC ΠΟΛΛΟΥC ΒΟΥΛΓΑΡΙC
ΕΠΕΧΟΥΝΤΑ ΤΟΥC ΕΧΘΡΟΥC ΑΥΤΟΥ ΥΠΟΤΑCΟΝΤΑ
ΧΕΡΟΝΤΑ ΚΑΙ ΑΓΑΛΙΟΜΕΝΟC ΖΙCΙΝ ΕΤΙ ΕΚΑΤΟΝ
ΙΤΟ ΔΕ ΚΕ Ο ΚΕΡΟC ΟΤΑΝ ΕΚΤΙΣΤΑΝ
ΒΟΥΛΓΑΡΙCΤΙ CΙΓΟΡ ΕΛΕΜ ΚΕ ΓΡΙΚΙCΤΙ
ΙΝΔΙΚΤΙΟΝΟC ΙΕ

Kana subigi Omortag, in the land where he was born
is lord (archon) by God. In the field of Pliska
staying he made a court/camp (aulis) at [the river] Ticha (Kamchiya)
and moved his forces against the Greeks (i.e. Byzantines)
and the Slavs and skillfully erected a bridge at Ticha
together with the camp [he put] four columns and above the columns
he erected two lions. May God grant the Lord by God
to crush with his foot the Byzantine Emperor (Basileus)
until Ticha flows... and over the many Bulgarians
to rule, to subjugate his enemies,
to live in joy and happiness for a hundred years
The time when this was built was
in Bulgarian Shigor Elem and in Greek
Indiction 15.

See also

References