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Bringas hypologios (eleventh century, second half)

 
 

Obverse

Bust of the Mother of God, turned to her right with her hands upraised. Faint traces of epigraphy: Μρ̅θυ̅: Μ(ήτη)ρ Θ(εο)ῦ. Border of dots.

Reverse

Inscription of four lines. Border of dots.

συ̣σκΕ̣
π̣οισυπ̣
λ̣ογιον̣
.ρ̣ιγγα̣

σὺ σκέποις ὑπ[ο]λόγιον [Β]ρίγγαν

Obverse

Bust of the Mother of God, turned to her right with her hands upraised. Faint traces of epigraphy: Μρ̅θυ̅: Μ(ήτη)ρ Θ(εο)ῦ. Border of dots.

Reverse

Inscription of four lines. Border of dots.

συ̣σκΕ̣
π̣οισυπ̣
λ̣ογιον̣
.ρ̣ιγγα̣

σὺ σκέποις ὑπ[ο]λόγιον [Β]ρίγγαν

Accession number BZS.1951.31.5.2871
Diameter 21.0 mm
Previous Editions

Cf. Wassiliou-Seibt, Siegel mit metrischen Legenden II, no. 2287.

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

Translation

σὺ σκέποις ὑπολόγιον Βρίγγαν.

May you watch over the hypologios Bringas.

Commentary

The inscription seems to be metrical in intent, if not in realisation. As Wassiliou-Seibt notes, the invocation to the Mother of God depicted on the obverse allows us to understand ἁγνή as part of the inscription; this word, inserted after Σύ, would make this a proper dodecasyllable.

Very little is known about the function of the hypolog(i)os, who appears to have been some sort of financial official.

Bibliography

  • Corpus der byzantinischen Siegel mit metrischen Legenden, Vol. 2, Siegellegenden von Ny bis inklusive Sphragis (Open in Zotero)