Paul deacon and chartoularios of the Nea Ekklesia (tenth century)
Obverse
Bust of St. Nicholas, book visible in his left hand. Inscription in two columns: ο|α|γ|ι|.ν|η|κ|λ: Ὁ ἅγι[ο(ς)] Νηκ(ό)λ(αος). Border of dots.
Reverse
Inscription of five lines. Border of dots.
πυλ,
δικον
Sχρτ
λτνεσ
εκκλ
+Παύλ(ῳ) διακόν(ῳ) (καὶ) χαρτουλ(αρίῳ) τ(ῆς) Νέας ἐκκλ(ησίας)
Obverse
Bust of St. Nicholas, book visible in his left hand. Inscription in two columns: ο|α|γ|ι|.ν|η|κ|λ: Ὁ ἅγι[ο(ς)] Νηκ(ό)λ(αος). Border of dots.
Reverse
Inscription of five lines. Border of dots.
πυλ,
δικον
Sχρτ
λτνεσ
εκκλ
+Παύλ(ῳ) διακόν(ῳ) (καὶ) χαρτουλ(αρίῳ) τ(ῆς) Νέας ἐκκλ(ησίας)
| Accession number | BZS.1958.106.219 |
|---|---|
| Diameter | 18.0 mm; field: 12.0 mm |
| Previous Editions | DO Seals 5 no. 48.3; Laurent, Corpus 5.2: no. 1164. |
Translation
Παύλῳ διακόνῳ καὶ χαρτουλαρίῳ τῆς Νέας ἐκκλησίας.
Paul deacon and chartoularios of the Nea Ekklesia.
Bibliography
- Catalogue of Byzantine Seals at Dumbarton Oaks and in the Fogg Museum of Art, Volume 5: The East (continued), Constantinople and Environs, Unknown Locations, Addenda, Uncertain Readings (Open in Zotero)
- Le Corpus des sceaux de l’empire byzantin (Open in Zotero)
Commentary
The choice of St. Nicholas as a decorative figure on the obverse may derive from the fact that this saint was one of the holy persons to whom the Nea Ekklesia was dedicated.
The Nea Ekklesia was a sanctuary built in the Great Palace in 880 by Basil I and consecrated to the Mother of God, St. Elias, St. Michael, and St. Nicholas. The ceremony commemorating its inauguration was marked by a procession departing from the church of the Theotokos of the Pharos and leading to the Nea, where a liturgy was celebrated followed by a banquet in the Chrysotriklinos (Listes, 214; ODB 2:1146). By the twelfth century the church had become a monastery. From the fact that chartoularioi and oikonomoi were attached to the church we may infer that the church enjoyed revenues from extensive estates.