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.
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
Sτα...
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.
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)
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.