Eustathios epi tou kanikleiou, ethnarches and grand droungarios of the fleet (twelfth century)
| Accession number | BZS.1955.1.4060 |
|---|---|
| Diameter | 24 mm |
| Previous Editions | Oikonomides, Dated Seals, no. 106. |
Obverse
The Mother of God seated on a backless throne, holding the child in her lap. Sigla: ̅θυ̅ : Μήτηρ Θεοῦ. Between two concentric circles of dots, an inscription along the circumference, beginning with a cross at twelve o'clock:
τκανικλειησφραγισευαθι
τοῦ κανικλείου ἡ σφραγὶς Εὐσταθίου
Reverse
St. Michael standing with open wings, holding a long labarum in his right hand and a globus cruciger in his left. Sigla: Χ|ΑΧ|Μ : Ἀρχάγγελος Μιχαήλ. A circular inscription along the circumference, set between concentric borders of dots.
αρχοντοςεθννολχελανιν
ἄρχοντος ἐθνῶν καὶ στόλου χελανδίων
Translation
Τοῦ κανικλείου ἡ σφραγὶς Εὐσταθίου ἄρχοντος ἐθνῶν καὶ στόλου χελανδίων.
The seal of Eustathios, epi tou kanikleiou, commander of foreign mercenaries and a fleet of warships.
| Accession number | BZS.1955.1.4060 |
|---|---|
| Diameter | 24 mm |
| Previous Editions | Oikonomides, Dated Seals, no. 106. |
Commentary
This seal presents an interesting owner and combination of titles. The eunuch Eustathios Kymineianos is known to have been a poet and may well have crafted the inscription himself. His titles and offices are given in poetic form to accommodate the metre. As epi tou kanikleiou, he served in the imperial chancery, but as ethnarches (commander of a contingent of foreign mercenaries) and droungarios tou stolou he held military rank as well. See Oikonomides's article, "Ὁ μέγας δρουγγάριος Εὐστάθιος Κυμινειανὸς καὶ ἡ σφραγὶδα του," Βυζαντινὰ 13 (1985), 899-907.