Symeon imperial protospatharios and strategos of the Thrakesioi (ninth century)
Obverse
Cruciform invocative monogram (type V); in the quarters: τ-σ|δ-λ. Wreath border.
Θεοτόκε βοήθει τῷ σῷ δούλῳ
Reverse
Inscription of four lines. Wreath border.
συμε
ωνβ/σπθ
Sστρ/τ
θρκι
Συμεὼν β(ασιλικῷ) (πρωτο)σπαθ(αρίῳ) (καὶ) στρα(τηγῷ) τῶ[ν] Θρᾳκι(σίων)
Obverse
Cruciform invocative monogram (type V); in the quarters: τ-σ|δ-λ. Wreath border.
Θεοτόκε βοήθει τῷ σῷ δούλῳ
Reverse
Inscription of four lines. Wreath border.
συμε
ωνβ/σπθ
Sστρ/τ
θρκι
Συμεὼν β(ασιλικῷ) (πρωτο)σπαθ(αρίῳ) (καὶ) στρα(τηγῷ) τῶ[ν] Θρᾳκι(σίων)
| Accession number | BZS.1958.106.3750 |
|---|---|
| Diameter | 28.0 mm |
| Previous Editions | DO Seals 3, no. 2.52. Zacos-Veglery, no. 2405. |
Translation
Θεοτόκε βοήθει τῷ σῷ δούλῳ Συμεὼν βασιλικῷ πρωτοσπαθαρίῳ καὶ στρατηγῷ τῶν Θρᾳκισίων.
Mother of God, help your servant Symeon, imperial protospatharios and strategos of the Thrakesioi.
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)
- Byzantine Lead Seals, Vol. 1 (Open in Zotero)
Commentary
As Zacos-Veglery have pointed out, the owner of the present seal could be identical to the owner of BZS.1958.106.881, BZS.1958.106.3406, and BZS.1958.106.5482 at a later stage of his career. If in fact Symeon was promoted from spatharios to protospatharios during his tenure as strategos of the Thrakesion, it would mean that the intermediary rank of spatharokandidatos did not yet exist, which would lead us to date the present seal to the very early ninth century (cf. Listes, 297).