John protospatharios, praipositos and epi tou koitonos ... (eleventh century, second half)

Commentary

The reading of the last two lines of the reverse is difficult. The letters are not easily identified and it is not clear whether these lines present the owner's family name (unlikely) or bureau connected with his duties as epi tou koitonos. In his unpublished catalogue of the Shaw catalogue, Laurent proposed ἐπὶ τῶν κοιτωνιτῶν δόμου καὶ Ἱπποδρόμου, but this reading cannot be reconciled with the letters visible. We have transcribed the letters that we can identify and await a solution from a better preserved parallel or other sources.