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Constantine patrikios, imperial protospatharios, and eparchos of the City (ninth century)

 
 

Obverse

Cruciform invocative monogram (type V); in the quarters: ΤΣ|Λ : τῷ σῷ δούλῳ. Indeterminate border.

Reverse

Inscription of five lines. Indeterminate border.

ΝΣ
ΝΤΙΝΠ
ΤΡΙΚ//
ΣΠΘ/ϗΕΠ
ΡΧ/ΠΟΛ/

[Κ]ωνσ[τ]αντίνῳ πατρικίῳ, β(ασιλικῷ) (πρωτο)σπαθ(αρίῳ), (καὶ) ἐπάρχ(ῳ) Πόλ(εως).

Obverse

Cruciform invocative monogram (type V); in the quarters: ΤΣ|Λ : τῷ σῷ δούλῳ. Indeterminate border.

Reverse

Inscription of five lines. Indeterminate border.

ΝΣ
ΝΤΙΝΠ
ΤΡΙΚ//
ΣΠΘ/ϗΕΠ
ΡΧ/ΠΟΛ/

[Κ]ωνσ[τ]αντίνῳ πατρικίῳ, β(ασιλικῷ) (πρωτο)σπαθ(αρίῳ), (καὶ) ἐπάρχ(ῳ) Πόλ(εως).

Accession number BZS 1958.106.3547
Diameter 28.0 mm
Previous Editions

DO Seals 5 no. 22.1; Zacos–Veglery, no. 1820.

Translation

Θεοτόκε βοήθει τῷ σῷ δούλῳ Κωνσταντίνῳ πατρικίῳ, βασιλικῷ πρωτοσπαθαρίῳ, καὶ ἐπάρχῳ Πόλεως.

Mother of God, help your servant Constantine patrikios, imperial protospatharios, and eparchos of the City.

Commentary

The ninth-century seal of a Constantine imperial protospatharios and eparchos of the City is published in Konstantopoulos, no. 16 (=Laurent, Corpus 2: no. 1003 [with illustration]). The Athens specimen bears on the obverse a double loop beta, but a single loop beta on the reverse, an indication that it was struck during the second half of the ninth century when the shape of the beta was changing. The same variation occurs on our seal, but we are inclined to believe that the Athens seal is later in date than the present specimen. It is possible that the owner of our seal may have been Constantine Myares (866). Cheynet (Seyrig, no. 133) has published the seal of a Constantine patrikios, imperial protospatharios, and eparchos of the City. We agree with his conclusion that the Seyrig seal is earlier in date than our specimen.

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)
  • Byzantine Lead Seals, Vol. 1 (Open in Zotero)
  • Le Corpus des sceaux de l’empire byzantin (Open in Zotero)
  • Les sceaux byzantins de la Collection Henri Seyrig (Open in Zotero)
  • Βυζαντιακὰ μολυβδόβουλλα τοῦ ἐν ἈΘήναις Ἐθνικοῦ Νομισματικοῦ Μουσείου (Open in Zotero)