Leo imperial spatharios and tourmarches of Mezon (ninth/tenth century)
Obverse
Cruciform invocative monogram (type V); in the quarters: .Σ|ΔΟΥΛ. Wreath border.
Θεοτόκε βοήθει [τῷ] σῷ δούλ(ῳ)
Obverse
Cruciform invocative monogram (type V); in the quarters: .Σ|ΔΟΥΛ. Wreath border.
Θεοτόκε βοήθει [τῷ] σῷ δούλ(ῳ)
Reverse
Inscription of four lines, followed by a row of pellets. No border visible.
ΛΕΟΝ.
,ΣΠΑΘΤ
ΡΟΜΑΡΧ,Τ
ΜΗΟΝΟ
Λέον[τ(ι)] β(ασιλικῷ) σπαθ(αρίῳ) (καὶ) τρομάρχ(ῃ) τ(ῆς) Μήζονο(ς)
Accession number | BZS.1947.2.1009 |
---|---|
Diameter | 19.0 mm |
Previous Editions | DO Seals 2, no. 61.1. |
Translation
Θεοτόκε βοήθει τῷ σῷ δούλῳ Λέοντι βασιλικῷ σπαθαρίῳ καὶ τρομάρχῃ τῆς Μήζονος.
Theotokos, help your servant Leo, imperial spatharios and tourmarches of Mezon.
Bibliography
- Le Corpus des sceaux de l’empire byzantin (Open in Zotero)
- Hierarchia Ecclesiastica Orientalis: Series episcoporum ecclesiarum christianarum orientalium (Open in Zotero)
Commentary
We assume that the antique form Ἀμυζῶνος was still influential at the time when the dies for this seal were engraved somewhere in the vicinity. For this reason, we restore the spelling Μυζῶνος, and not Μίζωνος, Μείζωνος, (or more "correctly," Μίζου) as would be tempting to do on the basis of the notitiae, which echo Constantinopolitan rather than local usage.
The ancient city of Amyzon survived in the Middle Ages under the names of Amazon (or Μizou, Mizon) and has been definitely identified as the modern Mazin Kalesi, the site of a fortress on the eastern slope of Mount Latros. The first bishop is attested in 431, and the bishopric is regularly mentioned in the notitiae as a suffragan of Karia/Stauroupolis well into the thirteenth century. See Laurent, Corpus V/1, 386; Fedalto, 193; Robert, Amyzon, esp. 28-29, 280; Zgusta, 70; REB 26 (1968) 39-40.