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Leo imperial spatharios and protonotarios of Thessalonica (tenth century)

 
 

Obverse

Patriarchal cross on three steps with fleurons arising from base (up to first transverse bar). Circular inscription within two borders of dots.

ΚΕΟΗΘΕΙΤΣΔΟΥΛ

Κ(ύρι)ε βοήθει τῷ σῷ δούλῳ

Reverse

Inscription of six lines. Border of dots.

ΛΕ
ΝΤΟΣ,ΣΠ
ΑΘΑΡ,ΠΡΟ
ΤΟΝΟΤΑΡ,Θ
ΕΣΣΑΛΟΝ
ΝΙΚΗΣ

Λέωντος β(ασιλικοῦ) σπαθαρ(ίου) (καὶ) προτονοταρ(ίου) Θεσσαλονίκης

Obverse

Patriarchal cross on three steps with fleurons arising from base (up to first transverse bar). Circular inscription within two borders of dots.

ΚΕΟΗΘΕΙΤΣΔΟΥΛ

Κ(ύρι)ε βοήθει τῷ σῷ δούλῳ

Reverse

Inscription of six lines. Border of dots.

ΛΕ
ΝΤΟΣ,ΣΠ
ΑΘΑΡ,ΠΡΟ
ΤΟΝΟΤΑΡ,Θ
ΕΣΣΑΛΟΝ
ΝΙΚΗΣ

Λέωντος β(ασιλικοῦ) σπαθαρ(ίου) (καὶ) προτονοταρ(ίου) Θεσσαλονίκης

Accession number BZS.1951.31.5.979
Diameter 18.0 mm
Previous Editions

DO Seals 1, no. 18.57a.

Translation

Κύριε βοήθει τῷ σῷ δούλῳ Λέωντος βασιλικοῦ σπαθαρίου καὶ προτονοταρίου Θεσσαλονίκης.

Lord, help your servant. (Seal of) Leo imperial spatharios and protonotarios of Thessalonica.

Commentary

From the same boulloterion as its parallels noted below. The blanks used for DO Seals 1, no. 18.57b and 18.57c, and perhaps also 18.57d, obviously came from the same mould. The spelling of the last word on the reverse may simply be an error (Θεσσαλοννίκης) or be read as Θεσσαλῶν νίκης and understood as an effort to interpret the name of the city, the more so as the genitive Θετταλῶν was often used to indicate the metropolitan of Thessalonica (cf. DO Seals 1, nos. 18.80-81).

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)
  • Byzantine Lead Seals, Vol. 2 (Open in Zotero)
  • Byzantine Lead Seals, Vol. 1 (Open in Zotero)
  • Silk Trade and Production in Byzantium from the Sixth to the Ninth Century: The Seals of Kommerkiarioi (Open in Zotero)
  • Les listes de préséance byzantines des IXe et Xe siècles (Open in Zotero)
  • Le kommerkion d’Abydos, Thessalonique et le commerce bulgare du 9e siècle (Open in Zotero)
  • Recherches sur les douanes à Byzance: L’octava, le "kommerkion" et les commerciares (Open in Zotero)
  • Byzantinische Bleisiegel in Berlin (West) (Open in Zotero)
  • Byzantinische Rang- und Ämterstruktur im 8. und 9. Jahrhundert: Faktoren und Tendenzen ihrer Entwicklung (Open in Zotero)
  • Le Corpus des sceaux de l’empire byzantin (Open in Zotero)
  • Les plus anciens recueils des miracles de Saint Démétrius et la pénétration des Slaves dans les Balkans (Open in Zotero)
  • L’éparque de Thessalonique: les origines d'une institution administrative (VIIIe-IXe siècles) (Open in Zotero)