The community (koinon) of Dekapolis (seventh century)
Obverse
Bust of the Mother of God with the medallion of Christ before her. Crosses flanking her on either side. Linear border.
Reverse
Inscription of four lines. Linear border.
.ΩΚ
.ΝΟΝΤΗ
ΣΔΕΚΑΠ
ΟΛΕΟΣ
[τ]ὼ κ[οι]νὸν τῆς Δεκαπόλεος.
Obverse
Bust of the Mother of God with the medallion of Christ before her. Crosses flanking her on either side. Linear border.
Reverse
Inscription of four lines. Linear border.
.ΩΚ
.ΝΟΝΤΗ
ΣΔΕΚΑΠ
ΟΛΕΟΣ
[τ]ὼ κ[οι]νὸν τῆς Δεκαπόλεος.
| Accession number | BZS.1955.1.2468 |
|---|---|
| Diameter | 24.0 mm |
| Previous Editions | DO Seals 5 no. 7.1. Zacos-Veglery, no. 1173 (with the erroneous reading: Leo archon of Dekapolis). For a parallel, see Cheynet, Collection Zacos, no. 25. |
Translation
τὼ κοινὸν τῆς Δεκαπόλεος.
The community of Dekapolis.
Bibliography
- Catalogue of Byzantine Seals at Dumbarton Oaks and in the Fogg Museum of Art, Volume 5: The East (continued), Constantinople and Environs, Unknown Locations, Addenda, Uncertain Readings (Open in Zotero)
- Byzantine Lead Seals, Vol. 1 (Open in Zotero)
- Sceaux de la collection Zacos (Bibliothèque nationale de France), se rapportant aux provinces orientales de l’empire byzantin (Open in Zotero)
Commentary
Cheynet states that the term koinon here refers to the ten cities of the Dekapolis, but whether koinon means a civil or an ecclesiastical unit remains unclear. For the appearance of the term on another seal, of “the koinon of the city of Sinope,” see BZS.1947.2.160.