Demetrios imperial protospatharios and strategos of Aigaion Pelagos (tenth century)
Obverse
Patriarchal cross on four steps. Between two borders of thick dots (the outer one is hardly visible), inscription.
ΚΕΟΗΘΗΤΟΣΔΟΥΛ
Κύριε βοήθει το σῷ δούλῳ
Reverse
Inscription preceded by a row of pellets. Border of thick dots.
.ΗΜΗΤΡΙ
.ˊΑˊΣΠΘ
..ΣΤΡΤΙ
..ΤΟΥΕΓ,Π
.ΛΑΓΟΥ
Δημητρίῳ βασιλικῷ πρωτοσπαθαρίῳ καὶ στρατιγῷ τοῦ Ἐγαίου Πελάγου
Obverse
Patriarchal cross on four steps. Between two borders of thick dots (the outer one is hardly visible), inscription.
ΚΕΟΗΘΗΤΟΣΔΟΥΛ
Κύριε βοήθει το σῷ δούλῳ
Reverse
Inscription preceded by a row of pellets. Border of thick dots.
.ΗΜΗΤΡΙ
.ˊΑˊΣΠΘ
..ΣΤΡΤΙ
..ΤΟΥΕΓ,Π
.ΛΑΓΟΥ
Δημητρίῳ βασιλικῷ πρωτοσπαθαρίῳ καὶ στρατιγῷ τοῦ Ἐγαίου Πελάγου
| Accession number | BZS.1955.1.1431 |
|---|---|
| Diameter | 25.0 mm |
| Previous Editions | DO Seals 2, no. 40.28. |
Translation
Κύριε βοήθει το σῷ δούλῳ Δημητρίῳ βασιλικῷ πρωτοσπαθαρίῳ καὶ στρατιγῷ τοῦ Ἐγαίου Πελάγου.
Lord, help your servant Demetrios imperial protospatharios and strategos of Aigaion Pelagos.
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)
- The Usual Lead Seal (Open in Zotero)
- Methodii Patriarchae Constantinopolitani Vita S. Theophanis Confessoris: e codice mosquensi no. 159 (Open in Zotero)
- Byzantine Lead Seals, Vol. 1 (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)
Similar Seals
- Demetrios imperial spatharokandidatos and strategos of Aigaion Pelagos (tenth century)
- Demetrios imperial spatharokandidatos and strategos of Aigaion Pelagos (tenth century)
- Demetrios imperial spatharokandidatos and strategos of Aigaion Pelagos (tenth century)
- Demetrios imperial spatharokandidatos and strategos of Aigaion Pelagos (tenth century)
Commentary
This seal and DO Seals 2, no. 40.27 (BZS 1955.1.1424-27) belonged to the same person who was spatharokandidatos. When appointed strategos of Aigaion, he had his first elegant boulloterion made in Constantinople, then assumed his position and, when promoted protospatharios, had the second boulloterion made by a less skilled "provincial" craftsman, who copied the first one as closely as he could. The blanks that he used belong to two categories, the light ones (nos. DO Seals 2, no. 40.27a, d) which must have been struck earlier (the Constantinopolitan stock?) and the heavy ones which are later (DO Seals 2, no. 40.27b, c, and this seal).