Skip to Content

John protospatharios, mystolektes, judge of the Velum and of the Armenian themes (?) (eleventh century)

 
 

Obverse

Bust of the Virgin holding the Christ child on her left arm. Sigla: ..-θ̅υ : [Μήτηρ] Θ(εο)ῦ. Border of dots.

Reverse

Inscription of six lines. Border of dots.

θκεR,θ,
ι̅ω̅α̅σπαθ,
μυστ,λεκτ,
κριτ,τRλ
α...
ν

Θ(εοτό)κε β(οή)θ(ει) Ἰω(άννῃ) (πρωτο)σπαθ(αρίῳ), μυστ(ο)λέκτ(ῃ), κριτ(ῇ) τοῦ β(ή)λ(ου) (καὶ) τ(ῶν) Ἀ[ρμε]ν[ικῶν θεμάτων (?)].

Obverse

Bust of the Virgin holding the Christ child on her left arm. Sigla: ..-θ̅υ : [Μήτηρ] Θ(εο)ῦ. Border of dots.

Reverse

Inscription of six lines. Border of dots.

θκεR,θ,
ι̅ω̅α̅σπαθ,
μυστ,λεκτ,
κριτ,τRλ
α...
ν

Θ(εοτό)κε β(οή)θ(ει) Ἰω(άννῃ) (πρωτο)σπαθ(αρίῳ), μυστ(ο)λέκτ(ῃ), κριτ(ῇ) τοῦ β(ή)λ(ου) (καὶ) τ(ῶν) Ἀ[ρμε]ν[ικῶν θεμάτων (?)].

Accession number BZS.1958.106.1505
Diameter 29.0 mm
Previous Editions

DO Seals 4, no. 56.4.

W. Seibt, "Ἀρμενικὰ θέματα", 135, no. 8.

Translation

Θεοτόκε βοήθει Ἰωάννῃ πρωτοσπαθαρίῳ, μυστολέκτῃ, κριτῇ τοῦ βήλου καὶ τῶν Ἀρμενικῶν θεμάτων.

Mother of God, help John, protospatharios, mystolektes, judge of the Velum and of the Armenian themes.

Commentary

The restitution of the last line is based on the space between α and ν and the number of letters following ν, too many for Ἀρμενιακῶν.

Bibliography

  • Catalogue of Byzantine Seals at Dumbarton Oaks and in the Fogg Museum of Art, Vol. 4: The East (Open in Zotero)
  • Die byzantinische Armee im 10. und 11. Jahrhundert: Studien zur Organisation der Tagmata (Open in Zotero)
  • L’organisation de la frontière orientale de Byzance aux Xe-XIe siècles et Le Taktikon de l’Escorial (Open in Zotero)
  • Ἀρμενικὰ Θέματα als terminus technicus der byzantinischen Verwaltungsgeschichte des 11. Jahrhunderts (Open in Zotero)
  • Byzantine Lead Seals, Vol. 2 (Open in Zotero)
  • The Land Legislation of the Macedonian Emperors (Open in Zotero)