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[Pher]ses Tzotzikios anythypatos, patrikios and strategos of Cappadocia (eleventh century)

 
 

Obverse

Half-length busts of two warrior saints, with St. Theodore on right; each holds a spear in his right and a shield in his left hand. Inscription in parallel columns, visible in center and at right: |θε|ο-δ|ορ, : Ὁ ἅ(γιος) Θεόδορ(ος). Border of dots.

Reverse

Inscription of six lines, top line missing; the final letter between two bars. Border of dots.

....
σησανθυπ
π̅ρικ,Sστρα
τιγ,καπαδ
οτοτι
-κ,-

[Φέρ]σης ἀνθύπ(ατος), π(ατ)ρίκ(ιος) (καὶ) στρατιγ(ὸς) Καπαδ(οκίας) ὁ Τζοτζίκ(ιος)

Obverse

Half-length busts of two warrior saints, with St. Theodore on right; each holds a spear in his right and a shield in his left hand. Inscription in parallel columns, visible in center and at right: |θε|ο-δ|ορ, : Ὁ ἅ(γιος) Θεόδορ(ος). Border of dots.

Reverse

Inscription of six lines, top line missing; the final letter between two bars. Border of dots.

....
σησανθυπ
π̅ρικ,Sστρα
τιγ,καπαδ
οτοτι
-κ,-

[Φέρ]σης ἀνθύπ(ατος), π(ατ)ρίκ(ιος) (καὶ) στρατιγ(ὸς) Καπαδ(οκίας) ὁ Τζοτζίκ(ιος)

Accession number BZS.1955.1.3367
Diameter 27.0 mm
Previous Editions

DO Seals 4, no. 43.13.

Translation

Φέρσης ἀνθύπατος, πατρίκιος καὶ στρατιγὸς Καπαδοκίας ὁ Τζοτζίκιος.

Pherses Tzotzikios, patrikios and strategos of Cappadocia.

Commentary

A strategos of Dorostolon in the year 1016 named τζοτζίκιος, son of Theudatos, the patrikios from Georgia, is mentioned by Skylitzes (355-6). The name Pherses that we are restoring here is Georgian.

Cappadocia, encompassing the regions north of the Taurus mountain range, is first attested as a tourma of the Anatolikon (De Adm. Imp. 50, l. 90-91) then as a kleisoura, while the first strategos of the theme of Cappadocia is mentioned in 830. It received substantial numbers of Armenian immigrants, so much so that in the eleventh century the notorious Philaretos Brachamios was appointed τοποτηρητὴς Καππαδόκων (V. Sandrovskaja, “Ermitaznye pecati Filareta Vrahamija,” Akademija Nauk Armianskoj SSR 1975/3, 43). See Oikonomides, Listes, 348; Hild-Restle, Kappadokien, 62-111; Mikra Asia them., 259-274, 441-446 (St. Lampakes).

Bibliography

  • Catalogue of Byzantine Seals at Dumbarton Oaks and in the Fogg Museum of Art, Vol. 4: The East (Open in Zotero)
  • De Administrando Imperio (Open in Zotero)
  • Ermitažnye pečati Filareta Vrahamija (Open in Zotero)
  • Kappadokien (Kappadokia, Charsianon, Sebasteia und Lykandos) (Open in Zotero)
  • Η Μικρά Ασία των θεμάτων. Ἐρευνες πάνω στην γεωγραφική φυσιογνωμία και προσωπογραφία των βυζαντινών θεμάτων της Μικράς Ασίας (Open in Zotero)