Photios cleric and kouboukleisios (tenth century)
Obverse
Bust of the Virgin with the medallion of Christ. Inscription to l. and r.: ΜΡΘΥ: Μήτηρ Θεοῦ. Circular inscription within indeterminate border.
Θεοτόκε βοήθει τῷ σῷ δούλῳ
Obverse
Bust of the Virgin with the medallion of Christ. Inscription to l. and r.: ΜΡΘΥ: Μήτηρ Θεοῦ. Circular inscription within indeterminate border.
Θεοτόκε βοήθει τῷ σῷ δούλῳ
Reverse
Inscription in four lines with decorations above and below. Border of dots.
·
ΩΤ.Ω
ΚΛΕΙΡΗΚΟ
ΚΟΥΟΥ
ΚΛΕΙΣΗ
·
Φωτήῳ κλειρηκό καὶ κουβουκλεισήῳ
Accession number | BZS.1958.106.132 |
---|---|
Diameter | 26.0 mm; field: 24.0 mm |
Previous Editions | Laurent, Corpus V/1, no. 181. |
Translation
Θεοτόκε βοήθει τῷ σῷ δούλῳ Φωτήῳ κλειρηκό καὶ κουβουκλεισήῳ.
Theotokos, help your servant Photios cleric and kouboukleisios.
Bibliography
- Le Corpus des sceaux de l’empire byzantin (Open in Zotero)
Commentary
It is possible that the seal owner's name is Photeinos, as the gap in the top line of the reverse inscription is too large for any iota-sound other than an Η, a misspelling . However this iotacized spelling would be in line with the spelling of κλειρηκό, and thus the much more common name Photios is still the most likely reading of this seal.