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Germanos imperial spatharios and chartoularios of the archives of the Anatolikoi (tenth century)

 
 

Obverse

Patriarchal cross (X on both crossings) on four steps; on either side fleurons rising up to the first arm. Along a border of dots, circular inscription, beginning at 7 o'clock.

ΘΚΕΟΗΘΕΙΤΣΔΟΥΛ,

Θεοτόκε βοήθει τῷ σῷ δούλ

Reverse

Inscription of five lines. Border of dots.

+ΓΕΡΜ,
ˊΣΠΑΘ
ΧΑΡΤΟΥΛ
ΑΡΚΤΟΑ
ΝΑΤΟΛ

Γερμανῷ βασιλικῷ σπαθαρίῳ καὶ χαρτουλαρίῳ ἄρκλας τον Ἀνατολικῶν

Obverse

Patriarchal cross (X on both crossings) on four steps; on either side fleurons rising up to the first arm. Along a border of dots, circular inscription, beginning at 7 o'clock.

ΘΚΕΟΗΘΕΙΤΣΔΟΥΛ,

Θεοτόκε βοήθει τῷ σῷ δούλ

Reverse

Inscription of five lines. Border of dots.

+ΓΕΡΜ,
ˊΣΠΑΘ
ΧΑΡΤΟΥΛ
ΑΡΚΤΟΑ
ΝΑΤΟΛ

Γερμανῷ βασιλικῷ σπαθαρίῳ καὶ χαρτουλαρίῳ ἄρκλας τον Ἀνατολικῶν

Accession number BZS.1958.106.3101
Diameter 25.0 mm
Previous Editions

DO Seals 3, no. 86.5c.
Cf. Laurent, Orghidan, no. 195.

Translation

Θεοτόκε βοήθει τῷ σῷ δούλῳ Γερμανῷ βασιλικῷ σπαθαρίῳ καὶ χαρτουλαρίῳ ἄρκλας τον Ἀνατολικῶν.

Mother of God, help your servant Germanos, imperial spatharios and chartoularios of the archives of the Anatolikoi.

Commentary

The full reading of this seal is based on the editions of its two better preserved counterparts from the same boulloterion: BZS 1958.106.3596 and 1958.106.4432.

Germanos must have been a subordinate official of the logothete of the genikon, charged with maintenance of the cadaster (Listes, 313); in order to avoid confusion with the chartoularioi of the stratiotikon (as were most of the provincial chartoularioi), he specifies on his seal that he is a chartoularios of the arkla.

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)
  • Les listes de préséance byzantines des IXe et Xe siècles (Open in Zotero)
  • Documents de sigillographie byzantine: La collection C. Orghidan (Open in Zotero)
  • Byzantine Lead Seals, Vol. 1 (Open in Zotero)
  • Sceaux byzantins du Musée National de Varsovie (Open in Zotero)
  • Byzantinische Rang- und Ämterstruktur im 8. und 9. Jahrhundert: Faktoren und Tendenzen ihrer Entwicklung (Open in Zotero)