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Manuel or Michael (?) patrikios, imperial protospatharios and strategos of the Thrakesioi (eighth/ninth century)

 
 

Obverse

Cruciform invocative monogram (Type VIII); in the quarters: -σω|-λω. No visible border.

Κύριε βοήθει τῷ σῷ δούλῳ

Reverse

Inscription of at least four lines. No visible border.

.λπτρ
βˊˊσπθˊS
στρτ/τν
θρκη

....λ πατρ[(ικίῳ)], β(ασιλικῷ) (πρωτο)σπαθ(αρίῳ) (καὶ) στρατ(ηγῷ) τῶν Θρᾳκη(σίων).

Obverse

Cruciform invocative monogram (Type VIII); in the quarters: -σω|-λω. No visible border.

Κύριε βοήθει τῷ σῷ δούλῳ

Reverse

Inscription of at least four lines. No visible border.

.λπτρ
βˊˊσπθˊS
στρτ/τν
θρκη

....λ πατρ[(ικίῳ)], β(ασιλικῷ) (πρωτο)σπαθ(αρίῳ) (καὶ) στρατ(ηγῷ) τῶν Θρᾳκη(σίων).

Accession number BZS.1958.106.2025
Diameter 29.0 mm
Previous Editions

DO Seals 3, no. 2.45.

Zacos-Veglery, no. 2189.

Translation

Κύριε βοήθει τῷ σῷ δούλῳ ....λ πατρικίῳ, βασιλικῷ πρωτοσπαθαρίῳ καὶ στρατηγῷ τῶν Θρᾳκησίων.

Lord, help your servant ....l, patrikios, imperial protospatharios and strategos of the Thrakesioi.

Commentary

The owner's name could be any name ending in λ, such as Μανουήλ, Μιχαήλ, or Δανιήλ, etc. The first two are more likely.

Bibliography

  • Catalogue of Byzantine Seals at Dumbarton Oaks and at the Fogg Museum of Art, Vol. 3: West, Northwest, and Central Asia Minor and the Orient (Open in Zotero)
  • Constantini Porphyrogeniti De cerimoniis aulae byzantinae (Open in Zotero)
  • Byzantine Praetorians: An Administrative, Institutional, and Social Survey of the Opsikion and Tagmata, c. 580-900 (Open in Zotero)
  • Theophanis Chronographia (Open in Zotero)
  • L’histoire et la géographie de la région de Smyrne entre les deux occupations turques (1081-1317), particulièrement au XIIIe siècle (Open in Zotero)
  • Les listes de préséance byzantines des IXe et Xe siècles (Open in Zotero)
  • “Thrakien” und “Thrakesion” (Open in Zotero)
  • Byzantinische Rang- und Ämterstruktur im 8. und 9. Jahrhundert: Faktoren und Tendenzen ihrer Entwicklung (Open in Zotero)