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Theopemptos metropolitan of Russia (eleventh century)

 
 

Obverse

Bust of St. John Prodromos holding a scroll in l. hand. Vertical inscription visible at r.: |ΔΡ|Ο|Μ: ἅγιος Ἰωάννης Πρόδρομος. No visible border.

Reverse

Inscription of four lines with decoration below. No visible border.

ΚΕ̅,θ
θεοπε.
πτοΜΡ̅ο
π,λ,ροσ,
ια.

Κύριε βοήθει Θεοπέμπτο μητροπολίτῃ Ῥοσσίας

Obverse

Bust of St. John Prodromos holding a scroll in l. hand. Vertical inscription visible at r.: |ΔΡ|Ο|Μ: ἅγιος Ἰωάννης Πρόδρομος. No visible border.

Reverse

Inscription of four lines with decoration below. No visible border.

ΚΕ̅,θ
θεοπε.
πτοΜΡ̅ο
π,λ,ροσ,
ια.

Κύριε βοήθει Θεοπέμπτο μητροπολίτῃ Ῥοσσίας

Accession number BZS.1955.1.4840
Diameter 22.0 mm
Previous Editions

DO Seals 1, no. 85.4b.
Mentioned in Laurent, Corpus V/1, Concordance, no. 782 (mentioned by negative number).
Cf. Janin, Aktovye, 174, no. 41.

Translation

Κύριε βοήθει Θεοπέμπτο μητροπολίτῃ Ῥοσσίας.

Lord, help Theopemptos metropolitan of Russia.

Commentary

This seal is an accurate copy of BZS 1958.106.150, but from a different boulloterion.

This prelate, who was the first metropolitan of Kiev (1037-ca. 1043), appears as a signatory to a synodal decree of 1039 (Ficker, Erlasse, 42).

The location of the see varied. Its early history remains a matter of dispute, but we know that it was established at Kiev in the 1030s, was movied to Vladimir in 1298, and finally to Moscow in 1328. Cf. Laurent, Corpus V/1, 599-600.

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)
  • Le Corpus des sceaux de l’empire byzantin (Open in Zotero)
  • Aktovye pečati Drevnej Rusi X — XV vv., Vol. 1, Pečati X - načala XIII v. (Open in Zotero)
  • Erlasse des Patriarchen von Konstantinopel Alexios Studites (Open in Zotero)
  • Un sceau gréco-russe au Xle siècle (Open in Zotero)
  • Byzantine Lead Seals, Vol. 1 (Open in Zotero)