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Michael protospatharios epi ton oikeiakon and epoptes of the Thrakesioi (ninth/tenth century)

 
 

Obverse

An archangel, presumably St. Michael, standing frontally, with open wings, holding in his right hand a spear (vertically), the point of which does not go any higher than his wing. Circular inscription along the circumference. No visible border.

κεRοηθειτω...ουλ,

Κ(ύρι)ε βοήθει τῷ [σῷ δ]ούλ(ῳ).

Reverse

Inscription of five lines. Border of dots.

μιχη,
ˋσπθρ,
πιτ,οικικ,
εποπτητ,
θρκισ,

Μιχαὴ(λ) [β(ασιλικῷ)] (πρωτο)σπαθαρ(ίῳ) [ἐ]πὶ τ(ῶν) οἰκιακ(ῶν) [(καὶ)] ἐπόπτῃ τ(ῶν) Θρᾳκισ(ίων)

Obverse

An archangel, presumably St. Michael, standing frontally, with open wings, holding in his right hand a spear (vertically), the point of which does not go any higher than his wing. Circular inscription along the circumference. No visible border.

κεRοηθειτω...ουλ,

Κ(ύρι)ε βοήθει τῷ [σῷ δ]ούλ(ῳ).

Reverse

Inscription of five lines. Border of dots.

μιχη,
ˋσπθρ,
πιτ,οικικ,
εποπτητ,
θρκισ,

Μιχαὴ(λ) [β(ασιλικῷ)] (πρωτο)σπαθαρ(ίῳ) [ἐ]πὶ τ(ῶν) οἰκιακ(ῶν) [(καὶ)] ἐπόπτῃ τ(ῶν) Θρᾳκισ(ίων)

Accession number BZS.1947.2.179
Diameter 23.0 mm
Previous Editions

DO Seals 3, no. 2.9a.

Translation

Κύριε βοήθει τῷ σῷ δούλῳ Μιχαὴλ βασιλικῷ πρωτοσπαθαρίῳ ἐπὶ τῶν οἰκιακῶν καὶ ἐπόπτῃ τῶν Θρᾳκισίων.

Lord, help your servant Michael, imperial protospatharios epi ton oikeiakon and epoptes of the Thrakesioi.

Commentary

This seal and BZS.1947.2.200 are very similar and seem to have belonged to the same individual but to have come from different boulloteria.

St. Michael with a spear: is this a reminiscence of the miracle of Chonai? In Syn. Eccl. CP, 19, the archangel is described as using a wand.

Bibliography

  • Theophanis Chronographia (Open in Zotero)
  • Les listes de préséance byzantines des IXe et Xe siècles (Open in Zotero)
  • Byzantinische Rang- und Ämterstruktur im 8. und 9. Jahrhundert: Faktoren und Tendenzen ihrer Entwicklung (Open in Zotero)