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George patrikios and strategos of Samosata (eleventh century)

 
 

Obverse

Bust of St. George with a spear and a shield. Vertical inscription: |.ε|ω-.|ι.|σ : ὁ ἅ(γιος) [Γ]εώ[ργ]ι[ο]ς. Inscription along the upper circumference. Border of dots.

...οηθειτσδλ,

[Κ(ύρι)ε β]οήθει τῷ σῷ δούλ(ῳ)

Reverse

Inscription of six lines, a decoration above. Border of dots.


σφργισ
γεργι
π̅ριSστρα
τιγ,τ,σα
μσατ
ν

σφρ(α)γὶς Γεωργίου π(ατ)ρι(κίου) (καὶ) στρατιγ(οῦ) τῶ(ν) Σαμουσάτων

Obverse

Bust of St. George with a spear and a shield. Vertical inscription: |.ε|ω-.|ι.|σ : ὁ ἅ(γιος) [Γ]εώ[ργ]ι[ο]ς. Inscription along the upper circumference. Border of dots.

...οηθειτσδλ,

[Κ(ύρι)ε β]οήθει τῷ σῷ δούλ(ῳ)

Reverse

Inscription of six lines, a decoration above. Border of dots.


σφργισ
γεργι
π̅ριSστρα
τιγ,τ,σα
μσατ
ν

σφρ(α)γὶς Γεωργίου π(ατ)ρι(κίου) (καὶ) στρατιγ(οῦ) τῶ(ν) Σαμουσάτων

Accession number BZS.1951.31.5.1010
Diameter 30.0 mm; field: 26.0 mm
Previous Editions

DO Seals 4, no. 69.1.

Translation

Κύριε βοήθει τῷ σῷ δούλῳ. σφραγὶς Γεωργίου πατρικίου καὶ στρατιγοῦ τῶν Σαμουσάτων.

Lord, help your servant. The seal of George, patrikios and strategos of Samosata.

Commentary

This must be the seal of George Maniakes. Honigmann; see Ostgrenze, 134-37. In 1032, he was the strategos of the towns close to the Euphrates and lived in Samosata (cf. Skylitzes, 387). The present specimen must date from this time period as it contains both types of the ligature ου, the traditional, , which prevailed until 1030, and the horseshoe type, , which first appears in 1032 (Dated Seals, 163), and becomes standard throughout the remainder of the eleventh century.

Today Samsat, Samosata was located northwest of Urfa. The medieval town lay on the north bank of the Euphrates and is to be distinguished from the Armenian Simsat situated to the east of Harput and usually mentioned in the singular (Asmosaton). Samosata fell to the Byzantines in 958 and is attested as the seat of a strategos or katepano (Listes, 360). See ODB III, 1836; Sinclair IV, 144.

Bibliography

  • Catalogue of Byzantine Seals at Dumbarton Oaks and in the Fogg Museum of Art, Vol. 4: The East (Open in Zotero)
  • Les listes de préséance byzantines des IXe et Xe siècles (Open in Zotero)
  • Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium (Open in Zotero)
  • Eastern Turkey: An Architectural and Archaeological Survey (Open in Zotero)
  • Die Ostgrenze des byzantinischen Reiches: von 363 bis 1071 nach griechischen, arabischen, syrischen und armenischen Quellen (Open in Zotero)
  • Ioannis Scylitzae Synopsis historiarum (Open in Zotero)
  • A Collection of Dated Byzantine Lead Seals (Open in Zotero)