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Constantine Alopos, magistros, vestes, judge of the Velum of Thrace and Macedonia (eleventh century)

 
 

Obverse

Bust of the Virgin orans with medallion of Christ before her (Episkepsis type, according to Seibt, SBS 1 [1987] 54, but which is here called "the reliever of pain"). On either side, the usual sigla: ̅ΘΥ̅ . Along the upper border, circular inscription: ΗΛΥΣΙΠΟΝΟΣ: Μήτηρ Θεοῦ ἡ Λυσίπονος. Border of dots.

Reverse

Inscription of seven lines. Border of dots.

ΚΕ̅,Θ,
Κ̅Ν̅ΜΑΓΙ
ΣΤΡΕΣΤΗ
ΚΡΙΤ,ΤΗΛ,
ΘΡΑΚ,ΜΑΚΕ
ΔΟΝΙΑΣΤ
ΑΛΠ

Κύριε βοήθει Κωνσταντίνῳ μαγίστρῳ, βέστῃ, κριτ τοῦ βήλου Θρᾴκης καὶ Μακεδονίας τῷ Ἀλωπῷ

Obverse

Bust of the Virgin orans with medallion of Christ before her (Episkepsis type, according to Seibt, SBS 1 [1987] 54, but which is here called "the reliever of pain"). On either side, the usual sigla: ̅ΘΥ̅ . Along the upper border, circular inscription: ΗΛΥΣΙΠΟΝΟΣ: Μήτηρ Θεοῦ ἡ Λυσίπονος. Border of dots.

Reverse

Inscription of seven lines. Border of dots.

ΚΕ̅,Θ,
Κ̅Ν̅ΜΑΓΙ
ΣΤΡΕΣΤΗ
ΚΡΙΤ,ΤΗΛ,
ΘΡΑΚ,ΜΑΚΕ
ΔΟΝΙΑΣΤ
ΑΛΠ

Κύριε βοήθει Κωνσταντίνῳ μαγίστρῳ, βέστῃ, κριτ τοῦ βήλου Θρᾴκης καὶ Μακεδονίας τῷ Ἀλωπῷ

Accession number BZS.1955.1.2897
Diameter 26.0 mm
Previous Editions

DO Seals 1, no. 43.6b.
A very similar seal from Constantinople was published first by Mordtmann (Ἐλλ. Φιλολ. Σύλλ. 13 Suppl. [1880] 87), then by Schlumberger, Sig., 162, 163, who also knew of another specimen that had belonged to Sorlin-Dorigny (cf. RA [1877] 86). See also K. Konstantopoulos, Κωνσταντῖνος Ἀλωπός, κριτὴς Θρᾴκης καὶ Μακεδονίας, 99-101.

Translation

Κύριε βοήθει Κωνσταντίνῳ μαγίστρῳ, βέστῃ, κριτῇ τοῦ βήλου Θρᾴκης καὶ Μακεδονίας τῷ Ἀλωπῷ.

Lord, help Constantine magistros, vestes, judge of the Velum of Thrace and Macedonia.

Commentary

This specimen is identical to BZS.1955.1.2896 (see commentary to that entry), but this comes from larger matrices than the other. Thus we have two different boulloteria that duplicate each other.

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)
  • Plombs byzantins de la Grèce et du Péleponnèse (Open in Zotero)
  • Sigillographie de l’Empire byzantin (Open in Zotero)
  • Κωνσταντῖνος Ἀλωπός, κριτὴς Θρᾴκης καὶ Μακεδονίας (Open in Zotero)
  • Die byzantinischen Bleisiegel in Österreich, Vol. 1, Kaiserhof (Open in Zotero)
  • Ioannis Scylitzae Synopsis historiarum (Open in Zotero)
  • Philippes et la Macédoine orientale à l’époque chrétienne et byzantine; recherches d’histoire et d’archéologie (Open in Zotero)
  • Byzantinische Rang- und Ämterstruktur im 8. und 9. Jahrhundert: Faktoren und Tendenzen ihrer Entwicklung (Open in Zotero)
  • La Macédoine orientale à l’époque byzantine: à propos d'un livre récent (Open in Zotero)
  • Byzantine Lead Seals, Vol. 1 (Open in Zotero)
  • Byzantine Lead Seals, Vol. 2 (Open in Zotero)
  • Theophanes Continuatus, Ioannes Cameniata, Symeon Magister, Georgius Monachus (Open in Zotero)