John archon and paraphylax of Crete (eighth century)
Obverse
Cruciform invocative monogram (type V); in the four quarters: ΤΔ.|ΛΣ. Wreath border.
Θεοτόκε βοήθει τῷ δούλῳ σου
Reverse
Inscription of five lines ending with a cross. Wreath border.
ΙΑ
.ΝΗΑΡΧ
.ΝΤΙΣΠΑΡ
.ΦΥΛΑΚΗΚ
ΡΗΤΗΣ
Ἰωάννῃ ἄρχοντι καὶ παραφύλακη Κρήτης
Obverse
Cruciform invocative monogram (type V); in the four quarters: ΤΔ.|ΛΣ. Wreath border.
Θεοτόκε βοήθει τῷ δούλῳ σου
Reverse
Inscription of five lines ending with a cross. Wreath border.
ΙΑ
.ΝΗΑΡΧ
.ΝΤΙΣΠΑΡ
.ΦΥΛΑΚΗΚ
ΡΗΤΗΣ
Ἰωάννῃ ἄρχοντι καὶ παραφύλακη Κρήτης
| Accession number | BZS.1955.1.1275 |
|---|---|
| Diameter | 31.0 mm |
| Previous Editions | DO Seals 2, no. 36.5. |
Translation
Θεοτόκε βοήθει τῷ δούλῳ σου Ἰωάννῃ ἄρχοντι καὶ παραφύλακη Κρήτης.
Mother of God, help your servant John archon and paraphylax of Crete.
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)
- Byzantine Lead Seals, Vol. 1 (Open in Zotero)
- Les listes de préséance byzantines des IXe et Xe siècles (Open in Zotero)
- Le Corpus des sceaux de l’empire byzantin (Open in Zotero)
- Hierarchia Ecclesiastica Orientalis: Series episcoporum ecclesiarum christianarum orientalium (Open in Zotero)
- Die byzantinische Armee im 10. und 11. Jahrhundert: Studien zur Organisation der Tagmata (Open in Zotero)
- A Collection of Dated Byzantine Lead Seals (Open in Zotero)
- Ὁ Ταξίαρχης Κρήτης (Open in Zotero)
- Byzantine Crete, from the 5th Century to the Venetian Conquest (Open in Zotero)
- Crete in the Conflicts of the Eighth Century (Open in Zotero)
- Byzantinische Rang- und Ämterstruktur im 8. und 9. Jahrhundert: Faktoren und Tendenzen ihrer Entwicklung (Open in Zotero)
- The Conquest of Crete by the Arabs (ca. 824): A Turning Point in the Struggle between Byzantium and Islam (Open in Zotero)
Commentary
This seal has been discussed by Tsougarakis, Crete, 175-76. In our view the title of paraphylax, which appears as the "paraphylakes kastron," that is, of fortified cities in the treatise of Philotheos (Listes, 161, cf. 343), can mean only the military commander of a fortified city, probably with some police functions. Thus all other known paraphylakes define their jurisdiction with the name of a fortified city and not of a province. We agree with Tsougarakis that the paraphylax of our seal had authority over the fortified city of Gortyna; he called this city "Crete," in the same way as the archbishop also called himself Κρήτης while residing in Gortyna. Cf. also ActaSS October VIII, 137: κάστρον Κρήτης. In other words, we understand that George had a double appointment by acting as the military governor of the city and as the archon (whatever this title meant) of the whole island.