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Arsenios bishop of Paphos (tenth/eleventh century)

 
 

Obverse

Bust of St. Philagrios blessing and holding a book. Remains of an inscription: ΙΛΑΓ : [ὁ ἅ(γιος) Φ]ιλάγ(ριος). Border of dots.

Reverse

Inscription of five lines, decorations above and below. Border of dots.


ΑΡΣΕΝ,

ΕΛΕΟΘΥ̅
.ΠΗΣΚ,Π,
ΠΑ

Ἀρσέν(ιος) ἐλέο Θ(εο)ῦ [ἐ]πισκ(ο)π(ος) Πάφου

Obverse

Bust of St. Philagrios blessing and holding a book. Remains of an inscription: ΙΛΑΓ : [ὁ ἅ(γιος) Φ]ιλάγ(ριος). Border of dots.

Reverse

Inscription of five lines, decorations above and below. Border of dots.


ΑΡΣΕΝ,

ΕΛΕΟΘΥ̅
.ΠΗΣΚ,Π,
ΠΑ

Ἀρσέν(ιος) ἐλέο Θ(εο)ῦ [ἐ]πισκ(ο)π(ος) Πάφου

Accession number BZS.1951.31.5.1331
Diameter 25.0 mm
Previous Editions

DO Seals 2, no. 39.2. See also Laurent, Corpus V/2, no. 1488.

Credit Line Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Bequest of Thomas Whittemore.

Translation

Ἀρσένιος ἐλέο Θεοῦ ἐπισκοπος Πάφου.

Arsenios by the mercy of God bishop of Paphos.

Commentary

St. Philagrios was a follower of St. Paul and bishop of Cyprus (Syn. Eccl. CP, 454, line 36).

Paphos (modern Nea Paphos), an ancient city and bishopric (attested in 325). The region may have  been occupied by the Arabs from the 7th century to 965. Our seals show that the city flourished in a Byzantine milieu well before the twelfth century, having become a collection point for agricultural produce and the seat of bishop. See Darrouzès, Notitiae, no. 3, line 165; no. 10, line 764; Laurent, Corpus V/2, 314-15; J. Darrouzès, "Textes synodaux chypriotes," REB 37 (1979) 23-30; Malamut, Iles, passim, esp. 253-55.

Bibliography

  • Catalogue of the Byzantine Seals at Dumbarton Oaks and at the Fogg Museum of Art, Vol. 2: South of the Balkans, the Islands, South of Asia Minor (Open in Zotero)
  • Le Corpus des sceaux de l’empire byzantin (Open in Zotero)
  • Notitiae Episcopatuum Ecclesiae Constantinopolitanae (Open in Zotero)
  • Textes synodaux chypriotes (Open in Zotero)
  • Les îles de l’empire byzantin: VIIIe-XIIe siècles (Open in Zotero)