Three columns at the eastern end of the southern aisle, in front of the trapezoidal room.
Two large red crosses divide the text into three irregular columns. The characters, 6-10 cm high, are formed with black tesserae and belong to the square alphabet.
Col I
1 - - - - - - - -
2 [εὐχα]ριστῶ-
3 [ν τῷ] θεῷ ἐψήφω-
4 [σε] τὴν στ‹ο›ὰν το-
5 [ῦ] ἁγίου μαρτυρίου
Col. II
1 Ἐπὶ Ἡρακλίου τοῦ
2 θεοσεβεστάτου ἐ-
3 πισκόπου τῆς τα‹ῦ›-
4 τα ἐψηφώθη ἔτους
5 θξρ′
Col. III
1 [Ὑπὲρ μνήμης καὶ ]
2 ἀναπαύσε[ως τοῦ ἁ-]
3 γίου πατρὸς ἡμῶν
4 Γαιανοῦ τοῦ πρεσ-
5 βυτέρου κὲ Σεουήρα διακ(όνου)
I. [So-and-so, gi]ving thanks to God, paved with mosaic the stoa (aisle) of
the holy martyrium.
II. Under Heraclius, the most god-fearing bishop of this place, it was paved
with mosaic in the year 169 (416/7 CE).
III. [For the memory and] repose of our holy father Gaianus the priest and of
Severa the deaconess.
An inscription commemorating the paving of the southern aisle, dated to 416/7 CE.
μαρτύριον stands for ‘church’ – one dedicated to a particular martyr or generally to the martyrs – and does not refer to a specific part of this church, in this case the trapezoidal room opening at the eastern end of the aisle.