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Basil bishop of ..ra(?) (eleventh/twelfth century)

 
 

Obverse

The Virgin seated on a throne, holding Christ on her left arm (?). Sigla: ̅-θ̅υ : Μ(ήτη)ρ Θ(εο)ῦ. Border of dots.

Reverse

Inscription of five lines. Border of dots.

+θ..R,θ,
τσδ.
Rσιλει
επισκοπ
..ρον

Θ(εοτό)κε β(οή)θ(ει) τῷ σῷ δού[λ(ῳ)] Βασιλείῳ ἐπισκόπῳ ..ρον.

Obverse

The Virgin seated on a throne, holding Christ on her left arm (?). Sigla: ̅-θ̅υ : Μ(ήτη)ρ Θ(εο)ῦ. Border of dots.

Reverse

Inscription of five lines. Border of dots.

+θ..R,θ,
τσδ.
Rσιλει
επισκοπ
..ρον

Θ(εοτό)κε β(οή)θ(ει) τῷ σῷ δού[λ(ῳ)] Βασιλείῳ ἐπισκόπῳ ..ρον.

Accession number BZS.1958.106.71
Diameter 22.0 mm
Previous Editions

DO Seals 4, no. 86.1.

Translation

Θεοτόκε βοήθει τῷ σῷ δούλῳ Βασιλείῳ ἐπισκόπῳ ..ρον.

Mother of God, help your servant Basil, bishop of ..ra.

Commentary

The initial letter of the bishop's see in the fifth line of the reverse cannot be read; taking into consideration the space available at the beginning of the line, we propose the following restorations: Ἰβόρων, Ἰβήρων, Σωρῶν, Κλήρων, Ἀγρῶν, Δοάρων, or Πόρων (Notitiae, no. 13, 1.181, 196, 222, 374, 403, 465, 609). Some of these sees were occupied by the Turks after Mantzikert, but others remained in Byzantine hands for most of the twelfth century.

Bibliography

  • Catalogue of Byzantine Seals at Dumbarton Oaks and in the Fogg Museum of Art, Vol. 4: The East (Open in Zotero)
  • Notitiae Episcopatuum Ecclesiae Constantinopolitanae (Open in Zotero)