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Alexios Komnenos, protoproedros and grand domestikos of the West (1074-78)

 
 

Obverse

St. Demetrios standing, holding spear, his left hand set on shield resting on ground. Inscription: |δη|ΜΗτ|ρι|ΟΣὉ ἅ(γιος) Δημήτριος. Border of dots.

Reverse

Inscription of eight lines. No visible border.

ΚΕ̅οη
θαλεΞι
πρτοπροε
δρSμεγαλ
δομεστικ
τηςδυσε
τκο
ν

Κ(ύρι)ε βοήθει Ἀλεξίῳ πρωτοπροέδρῳ (καὶ) μεγάλ(ῳ) δομεσίκῳ τῆς Δύσεω(ς) τῷ Κομν[η]ν.

Obverse

St. Demetrios standing, holding spear, his left hand set on shield resting on ground. Inscription: |δη|ΜΗτ|ρι|ΟΣὉ ἅ(γιος) Δημήτριος. Border of dots.

Reverse

Inscription of eight lines. No visible border.

ΚΕ̅οη
θαλεΞι
πρτοπροε
δρSμεγαλ
δομεστικ
τηςδυσε
τκο
ν

Κ(ύρι)ε βοήθει Ἀλεξίῳ πρωτοπροέδρῳ (καὶ) μεγάλ(ῳ) δομεσίκῳ τῆς Δύσεω(ς) τῷ Κομν[η]ν.

Accession number BZS.1958.106.811
Diameter 26.0 mm
Previous Editions

Zacos-Veglery, no. 2705; Laurent, Corpus II, no. 933; DO Seals 1 no. 1.15.

Translation

Κύριε βοήθει Ἀλεξίῳ πρωτοπροέδρῳ καὶ μεγάλῳ δομεσίκῳ τῆς Δύσεως τῷ Κομνηνῷ.

Lord, help Alexios Komnenos protoproedros and grand domestikos of the West.

Commentary

This is the future emperor Alexios I Komnenos. Zacos dated this seal to the summer of 1078; Laurent, between 1074 and 1078. We know from literary sources that during his campaign against Roussel de Bailleul (summer 1074), Alexios had the title of proedros (see Zacos-Veglery, no. 1491, with reference to texts and secondary literature). He would have received the title of protoproedros sometime between 1074 and the summer of 1078: at that date, when he was appointed grand domestikos and successfully campaigned against Nikephoros Bryennios, he had already received the superior title of nobelissimos (Skylitzes Cont., 180; Attaleiates, 288) or received it at that moment, before the beginnning of this campaign (Zonaras III, 721). This last date is accepted by Zacos-Veglery, no. 1491, while Laurent, Corpus II, no. 934, hypothesizes that the title of nobelissimos had been bestowed upon Alexios after his victory over Bryennios. But all this discussion has no bearing on the date of our seal, which should be placed between summer 1074 (Alexios was then still a proedros) and summer 1078 (Alexios promoted from protoproedros to nobelissimos). It is not impossible that in 1078 Alexios was appointed grand domestikos for the second time.

Bibliography

  • Byzantine Lead Seals, Vol. 1 (Open in Zotero)
  • Le Corpus des sceaux de l’empire byzantin (Open in Zotero)
  • Catalogue of the Byzantine Seals at Dumbarton Oaks and at the Fogg Museum of Art, Vol. 1: Italy, North of the Balkans, North of the Black Sea (Open in Zotero)