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Michael Maurikas, vestarches and katepano of Dyrrachion (eleventh century)

 
 

Obverse

Bust of St. George holding spear. Inscription: .|Γ|Ε|Ρ|ΓΙ,: ἅγιος Γεώργιος. Border of dots.

Reverse

Inscription of seven lines. Border of dots.

ΚΕ,θ,
μιχαηλ
εσταρχη
κατεπαν,
δυρραχ,τ
μαρι
κα

Κύριε βοήθει Μιχαὴλ βεστάρχῃ καὶ κατεπάνω Δυρραχίου τῷ Μαβρικᾷ

Obverse

Bust of St. George holding spear. Inscription: .|Γ|Ε|Ρ|ΓΙ,: ἅγιος Γεώργιος. Border of dots.

Reverse

Inscription of seven lines. Border of dots.

ΚΕ,θ,
μιχαηλ
εσταρχη
κατεπαν,
δυρραχ,τ
μαρι
κα

Κύριε βοήθει Μιχαὴλ βεστάρχῃ καὶ κατεπάνω Δυρραχίου τῷ Μαβρικᾷ

Accession number BZS.1958.106.4234
Diameter 28.0 mm
Previous Editions

DO Seals 1, no. 12.5a.
Cf. similar seal published by I. Jordanov, "Neizdadeni vizantijski olovni pečati ot Silistra," 106, no. 12. This specimen, which was found at Silistra, is from a different boulloterion than this DO pair of specimens.
Another specimen from the Vienna Collection inscribed with the same name and titles (and with the same arrangement of the letters of the rev. inscription) was published without illustration by Seibt, Bleisiegel, no. 58 (previously published by Mordtmann and mentioned in Schlumberger, Sig., 204).

Translation

Κύριε βοήθει Μιχαὴλ βεστάρχῃ καὶ κατεπάνω Δυρραχίου τῷ Μαβρικᾷ.

Lord, help Michael Maurikas, vestarches and katepano of Dyrrachion.

Commentary

Seibt, Bleisiegel, 169-70, traces Michael's career and places his tenure at Dyrrachion between 1065 and 1068. On the other hand, Skoulatos, Personnages, 196-198, hypothesizes that he may have been appointed at Dyrrachion in 1070. Both scholars use the same sources, which speak of a certain Maurix without mentioning any first name.

Bibliography

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  • Neizdadeni vizantijski olovni pečati ot Silistra (Open in Zotero)
  • Die byzantinischen Bleisiegel in Österreich, Vol. 1, Kaiserhof (Open in Zotero)
  • Plombs byzantins de la Grèce et du Péleponnèse (Open in Zotero)
  • Sigillographie de l’Empire byzantin (Open in Zotero)
  • Les personnages byzantins de l’Alexiade: Analyse prosopographique et synthèse (Open in Zotero)
  • Byzantine Lead Seals, Vol. 2 (Open in Zotero)
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  • Notitiae Episcopatuum Ecclesiae Constantinopolitanae (Open in Zotero)
  • Μελέται περὶ τῆς διοικητικῆς διαιρέσεως καὶ τῆς ἐπαρχιακῆς διοικήσεως ἐν τῷ βυζαντινῷ κράτει (Open in Zotero)
  • Le Corpus des sceaux de l’empire byzantin (Open in Zotero)
  • Les listes de préséance byzantines des IXe et Xe siècles (Open in Zotero)
  • Byzantium on the Balkans: studies on the Byzantine administration and the Southern Slavs from the VIIth to the XIIth centuries (Open in Zotero)
  • Byzantinische Rang- und Ämterstruktur im 8. und 9. Jahrhundert: Faktoren und Tendenzen ihrer Entwicklung (Open in Zotero)
  • Βυζαντιακὰ μολυβδόβουλλα τοῦ ἐν ἈΘήναις Ἐθνικοῦ Νομισματικοῦ Μουσείου (Open in Zotero)
  • Ioannis Scylitzae Synopsis historiarum (Open in Zotero)
  • Sovety i rasskazy Kekavmena: Sochinenie vizant. polkovodt︠s︡a XI v (Open in Zotero)