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Basil protospatharios, mystographos, and megas oikonomos of the patriarchate of Antioch (eleventh century)

 
 

Obverse

Bust of St. Basil blessing with his right hand and holding a book in his left. Inscription in two columns: |Α|ΣΙΛ|ΕΙ|Ο : Ὁ ἅ(γιος) Βασίλειο(ς). Border of dots.

Reverse

Inscription of six lines. Border of dots.

ΚΕ,Θ,
ΑΣΙΛΕΙ
ΑΣΠΑΘ,ΜΥΣΤΟ
ΓΡΑΦ,ΚΑΙΟΙ
ΚΟΝ,Μ,ΤΠ̅Ρ̅Ι̅
ΑΡΑΝΤ,ΟΧ

Κ(ύρι)ε β(οή)θ(ει) Βασιλείῳ (πρωτο)σπαθ(αρίῳ), μυστογράφ(ῳ) καὶ μ(ε)γ(άλῳ) οἰκον(ό)μ(ῳ) τοῦ π(ατ)ριαρ(χείου) Ἀντ(ι)οχ(είας)

Obverse

Bust of St. Basil blessing with his right hand and holding a book in his left. Inscription in two columns: |Α|ΣΙΛ|ΕΙ|Ο : Ὁ ἅ(γιος) Βασίλειο(ς). Border of dots.

Reverse

Inscription of six lines. Border of dots.

ΚΕ,Θ,
ΑΣΙΛΕΙ
ΑΣΠΑΘ,ΜΥΣΤΟ
ΓΡΑΦ,ΚΑΙΟΙ
ΚΟΝ,Μ,ΤΠ̅Ρ̅Ι̅
ΑΡΑΝΤ,ΟΧ

Κ(ύρι)ε β(οή)θ(ει) Βασιλείῳ (πρωτο)σπαθ(αρίῳ), μυστογράφ(ῳ) καὶ μ(ε)γ(άλῳ) οἰκον(ό)μ(ῳ) τοῦ π(ατ)ριαρ(χείου) Ἀντ(ι)οχ(είας)

Accession number BZS.1955.1.4596
Diameter 28.0 mm; field: 22.0 mm
Previous Editions

DO Seals 5 no. 9.20; Laurent, Corpus 5.3, no. 2022 (listed as 60.88.3687)

Translation

Κύριε βοήθει Βασιλείῳ πρωτοσπαθαρίῳ, μυστογράφῳ καὶ μεγάλῳ οἰκονόμῳ τοῦ πατριαρχείου Ἀντιοχείας.

Lord, help Basil protospatharios, mystographos and megas oikonomos of the patriarchate of Antioch.

Commentary

Laurent is probably correct that the Basil of this seal was an official appointed by the emperor to administer the church property of Antioch, as was common practice for the church of Constantinople until 1057 (cf. Regesten, no. 938). It is not clear, however, whether the megas oikonomos actually carried out his duties in Antioch or resided in Constantinople and supervised the Antiochene patriarchate’s properties from the capital (K. Pitsakis, “Ἠ ἔκταση τῆς ἐξουσίας ἑνὸς ὑπερορίου πατριάρχη," 119–26). A mystographos by the name of Basil was active in Constantinople in the first half of the eleventh century: Laurent, Corpus 2: nos. 145, 1065.

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)
  • Le Corpus des sceaux de l’empire byzantin (Open in Zotero)
  • Regesten der Kaiserurkunden des Oströmischen Reiches von 565–1453 (Open in Zotero)
  • Le Corpus des sceaux de l’empire byzantin (Open in Zotero)
  • Ἠ ἔκταση τῆς ἐξουσίας ἑνὸς ὑπερορίου πατριάρχη: Ὁ πατριάρχης Ἀντιοχείας στὴν Κωνσταντινούπολη τὸν 12ο αἰώνα (Open in Zotero)