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Basil protospatharios, hypatos, judge of the Velum and of the Hippodrome of Macedonia (eleventh century)

 
 

Obverse

Bust of a saint, likely St George. Traces of vertical inscription: Ω|Ρ : [ὁ ἅ(γιος) Γε]ώρ[γ(ιος)] ?. No visible border.

Reverse

Inscription of six lines. No visible border.

ΑΣΙ.
ΑΣΠΑΘ..
ΠΑΤ,ΚΡΙ..
ΗΛ,..
,ΜΑ.
ΕΔΟΝ

Βασί[λ(ειος)] (πρωτο)σπαθ[άρ(ιος), ὕ]πατ(ος), κρι[τὴς το]ῦ βήλ(ου) (καὶ) [τοῦ Ἱ]ππ(οδρόμου) Μα[κ]εδον(ίας)

Obverse

Bust of a saint, likely St George. Traces of vertical inscription: Ω|Ρ : [ὁ ἅ(γιος) Γε]ώρ[γ(ιος)] ?. No visible border.

Reverse

Inscription of six lines. No visible border.

ΑΣΙ.
ΑΣΠΑΘ..
ΠΑΤ,ΚΡΙ..
ΗΛ,..
,ΜΑ.
ΕΔΟΝ

Βασί[λ(ειος)] (πρωτο)σπαθ[άρ(ιος), ὕ]πατ(ος), κρι[τὴς το]ῦ βήλ(ου) (καὶ) [τοῦ Ἱ]ππ(οδρόμου) Μα[κ]εδον(ίας)

Accession number BZS.1947.2.102
Diameter 26.0 mm
Previous Editions

DO Seals 1, no. 43.3.

Translation

Βασίλειος πρωτοσπαθάριος, ὕπατος, κριτὴς τοῦ βήλου καὶ τοῦ Ἱπποδρόμου Μακεδονίας.

Basil protospatharios, hypatos, judge of the Velum and of the Hippodrome of Macedonia.

Commentary

The meaning of the title hypatos is not obvious on this seal. We know that the traditional honorific title of hypatos disappeared in the tenth century; that a new judicial office of hypatos appeared for the first time in the Escorial Taktikon (971-975); and that a new honorific title of hypatos, superior to that of protospatharios, was created before 1039 (Listes, 296, 325). Because honorific title are normally enumerated on seals in decreasing order of importance and always precede offices, it is clear that Basil held the judicial office of hypatos combined with a temporary mandate as judge of Macedonia.

Bibliography

  • Catalogue of the Byzantine Seals at Dumbarton Oaks and at the Fogg Museum of Art, Vol. 1: Italy, North of the Balkans, North of the Black Sea (Open in Zotero)
  • Byzantinische Rang- und Ämterstruktur im 8. und 9. Jahrhundert: Faktoren und Tendenzen ihrer Entwicklung (Open in Zotero)
  • Sigillographie de l’Empire byzantin (Open in Zotero)
  • Theophanes Continuatus, Ioannes Cameniata, Symeon Magister, Georgius Monachus (Open in Zotero)
  • Byzantine Lead Seals, Vol. 1 (Open in Zotero)
  • Byzantine Lead Seals, Vol. 2 (Open in Zotero)