Koropalates imperial protospatharios and strategos of Hexakomia (tenth/eleventh century)
Obverse
Bust of St. Theodore holding a martyr's cross in his right hand and a spear in his left hand. Vertical inscription on either side: ο|θ|ε-ο|δ. : Ὁ (ἅγιος) Θεόδ(ωρος). Circular inscription within a border of dots.
κεRοιθ,τσδλ,
Κ(ύρι)ε βοίθ(ει) τῷ σῷ δούλ(ῳ)
Reverse
Inscription of five lines, decorations above and below. Border of dots.
+κοροπ
λτ,Rˋˋσ
πθˋSστρ
τ.γ,εξ
κμιˊ
Κοροπαλάτ(ῃ) β(ασιλικῷ) (πρωτο)σπαθ(αρίῳ) (καὶ) στρατ[ι]γ(ῷ) Ἑξακωμί(ας)
Obverse
Bust of St. Theodore holding a martyr's cross in his right hand and a spear in his left hand. Vertical inscription on either side: ο|θ|ε-ο|δ. : Ὁ (ἅγιος) Θεόδ(ωρος). Circular inscription within a border of dots.
κεRοιθ,τσδλ,
Κ(ύρι)ε βοίθ(ει) τῷ σῷ δούλ(ῳ)
Reverse
Inscription of five lines, decorations above and below. Border of dots.
+κοροπ
λτ,Rˋˋσ
πθˋSστρ
τ.γ,εξ
κμιˊ
Κοροπαλάτ(ῃ) β(ασιλικῷ) (πρωτο)σπαθ(αρίῳ) (καὶ) στρατ[ι]γ(ῷ) Ἑξακωμί(ας)
| Accession number | BZS.1958.106.1068 |
|---|---|
| Diameter | 25.0 mm; field: 21.0 mm |
| Previous Editions | DO Seals 4, no. 62.1. |
Translation
Κύριε βοίθει τῷ σῷ δούλῳ Κοροπαλάτῃ βασιλικῷ πρωτοσπαθαρίῳ καὶ στρατιγῷ Ἑξακωμίας.
Lord, help your servant Koropalates, imperial protospatharios and strategos of Hexakomia.
Bibliography
- Catalogue of Byzantine Seals at Dumbarton Oaks and in the Fogg Museum of Art, Vol. 4: The East (Open in Zotero)
- A propos d’une nouvelle publication de sceaux byzantins (Open in Zotero)
- Les listes de préséance byzantines des IXe et Xe siècles (Open in Zotero)
- L’organisation de la frontière orientale de Byzance aux Xe-XIe siècles et Le Taktikon de l’Escorial (Open in Zotero)
- Kappadokien (Kappadokia, Charsianon, Sebasteia und Lykandos) (Open in Zotero)
Commentary
One of the Armenian themes, the region of Hexakomia lay between Lykandos to the west and Melitene to the east. It seems that at some point in the eleventh century it also became the seat of a bishop: Basil of Hexakomia, no doubt an orthodox prelate, is known to us from his seal : Zacos, Seals II, no. 375, cf. N. Oikonomides, in REB 44 (1986) 263-267. In spite of this, Hexakomia is not mentioned in any known notitia episcopatuum. See Oikonomides, Listes, 360; “Organisation,” 290; Hild-Restle, Kappadokien, 190-191.