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Stephen metropolitan of Nikomedeia (eleventh century)

 
 

Obverse

Bust of the Virgin holding Christ. Sigla: ̅Θ: Μή(τηρ) Θ(ε)οῦ. Within a border of dots, a circular inscription.

ΘΚΕ,Θ,ΤΣΔΛ,

Θ(εοτό)κε β(οή)θ(ει) τῷ σῷ δούλ(ῳ)

Reverse

Inscription of five lines, decorations above and below. Border of dots.


+ΣΤΕ
.ΑΝΜΗ
.ΡΟΠΟΛΙΤ,
.ΙΚΟΜΗ
.ΕΙΑΣ

Στε[φ]άνῳ μη[τ]ροπολίτ(ῃ) [Ν]ικομη[δ]είας

Obverse

Bust of the Virgin holding Christ. Sigla: ̅Θ: Μή(τηρ) Θ(ε)οῦ. Within a border of dots, a circular inscription.

ΘΚΕ,Θ,ΤΣΔΛ,

Θ(εοτό)κε β(οή)θ(ει) τῷ σῷ δούλ(ῳ)

Reverse

Inscription of five lines, decorations above and below. Border of dots.


+ΣΤΕ
.ΑΝΜΗ
.ΡΟΠΟΛΙΤ,
.ΙΚΟΜΗ
.ΕΙΑΣ

Στε[φ]άνῳ μη[τ]ροπολίτ(ῃ) [Ν]ικομη[δ]είας

Accession number BZS.1955.1.4834
Diameter 25.0 mm
Previous Editions

DO Seals 3, no. 83.9. See also Laurent, Corpus V/1, no. 379 (who edited a parallel seal published with errors by Lihačev, IZIGI, pl. V, no., but illustrated DO specimen); Zacos, Seals II, no. 889 (similar seal with different obverse).

Translation

Θεοτόκε βοήθει τῷ σῷ δούλῳ Στεφάνῳ μητροπολίτῃ Νικομηδείας.

Mother of God, help your servant Stephen, metropolitan of Nikomedeia.

Commentary

Laurent is correct that the Stephanos of the present seal cannot be the same man as the owner of the same name recorded on BZS 1951.31.5.871 and 1958.106.285.

Bibliography

  • Catalogue of Byzantine Seals at Dumbarton Oaks and at the Fogg Museum of Art, Vol. 3: West, Northwest, and Central Asia Minor and the Orient (Open in Zotero)
  • Le Corpus des sceaux de l’empire byzantin (Open in Zotero)
  • Istoriceskoe znacenie italo-greceskoj ikonopisi: Izobra zenija Bogomatera v prozvedenijah italo-greceskih ikonopiscev i ih vlijanie na kompozicii nekotoryh proslavlennyh russkih ikon (Open in Zotero)
  • Byzantine Lead Seals, Vol. 2 (Open in Zotero)
  • Le livre du préfet; ou, L’édit de l’empereur Léon le Sage sur les corporations de Constantinople (Open in Zotero)
  • Die Städte Kleinasiens im 7. und 8. Jahrhundert (Open in Zotero)