Skip to Content
Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection
Search

Navigation Breadcrumbs

George Spanopoulos praitor (of Constantinople) (eleventh century)

 
 
title

Obverse

A military saint, likely St. George, riding a horse. No epigraphy or border visible.

title

Reverse

Inscription of six lines. Border of dots.

ΟΣΟΣ
.ΥΠΟΣΦΡΑ
..ΣΜΑΤΣΥΝ
.ΝΥΜSΠΡΑΙΤ
ΟΡ,ΤΣΠΑ
ΝΟΠΛ

ὁ σὸς [τ]ύπος <σ>φρά[γι]σμα τοῦ συν[ω]νύμ(ου) (καὶ) πραίτορ(ος) τοῦ Σπανοπούλου

Obverse

A military saint, likely St. George, riding a horse. No epigraphy or border visible.

Reverse

Inscription of six lines. Border of dots.

ΟΣΟΣ
.ΥΠΟΣΦΡΑ
..ΣΜΑΤΣΥΝ
.ΝΥΜSΠΡΑΙΤ
ΟΡ,ΤΣΠΑ
ΝΟΠΛ

ὁ σὸς [τ]ύπος <σ>φρά[γι]σμα τοῦ συν[ω]νύμ(ου) (καὶ) πραίτορ(ος) τοῦ Σπανοπούλου

Accession number BZS.1947.2.1280
Diameter 24.0 mm
Previous Editions

DO Seals 5 no. 28.1; Laurent, Corpus 2: no. 1144. Cf. Wassiliou-Seibt, Siegel mit metrischen Legenden II, no. 1569; see also PBW: Georgios 20179.

Translation

ὁ σὸς τύπος σφράγισμα τοῦ συνωνύμου καὶ πραίτορος τοῦ Σπανοπούλου.

Your image is the seal of your namesake and praitor (George) Spanopoulos.

Commentary

The first part of the inscription forms a nicely crafted metrical verse (ὁ σὸς τύπος σφράγισμα / τοῦ συνωνύμου).

Although the inscription contains no mention of Constantinople, we follow Laurent in attributing the specimen to the capital since the seal of a provincial praitor usually specifies the region where he held office. W. Seibt, in his review of DO Seals 5 (BZ 100 [2007]: 234), cautions against an automatic attribution, noting that not including a specific area of authority does not mean that an officer operated in Constantinople.

The family name is well attested. We know, for example, of a Michael Spanopoulos, judge of the Aigaion (BZS.1958.106.3299), a Nicholas Spanopoulos, judge of the Hippodrome and the Optimatoi (BZS.1958.106.2925), and a John Spanopoulos, judge of the Velum and of the Hippodrome and of Mesopotamia and anagrapheus (BZS.1955.1.3327). Cf. Seibt, Bleisiegel, 284–86.

A seal of a George Spanopoulos, possibly the same man, is edited under BZS.1951.31.5.192.

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)
  • Le Corpus des sceaux de l’empire byzantin (Open in Zotero)
  • Corpus der byzantinischen Siegel mit metrischen Legenden, Vol. 2, Siegellegenden von Ny bis inklusive Sphragis (Open in Zotero)