Basil (?) Blemmydes (?), imperial protospatharios and anagrapheus of the Armeniakoi (tenth century)
Obverse
St. Michael standing, holding a labarum. Part of a circular inscription along the circumference preserved at left:
ρχηστρτη
Ἀρχηστράτη[γε βοήθει]
Reverse
Inscription of five lines, a row of crosslets below. Border of dots.
.λR
,επη
νγ
ρμεν
Rλεμ
[Βασι]λ(είῳ ?) β(ασιλικῷ) [(πρωτο)σπαθ(αρίῳ)] ἐπὴ [τ.....καὶ] ἀναγ[ραφεῖ τῶν] Ἀρμεν[ιακῶν τῷ] Βλεμ(μύδῃ ?)
Obverse
St. Michael standing, holding a labarum. Part of a circular inscription along the circumference preserved at left:
ρχηστρτη
Ἀρχηστράτη[γε βοήθει]
Reverse
Inscription of five lines, a row of crosslets below. Border of dots.
.λR
,επη
νγ
ρμεν
Rλεμ
[Βασι]λ(είῳ ?) β(ασιλικῷ) [(πρωτο)σπαθ(αρίῳ)] ἐπὴ [τ.....καὶ] ἀναγ[ραφεῖ τῶν] Ἀρμεν[ιακῶν τῷ] Βλεμ(μύδῃ ?)
| Accession number | BZS.1951.31.5.1102 |
|---|---|
| Diameter | 24.0 mm |
| Previous Editions | DO Seals 4, no. 21.1. |
Translation
Ἀρχηστράτηγε βοήθει Βασιλείῳ βασιλικῷ πρωτοσπαθαρίῳ ἐπὴ [...] καὶ ἀναγραφεῖ τῶν Ἀρμενιακῶν τῷ Βλεμμύδῃ.
Commander of the heavenly host, help Basil Blemmydes, imperial protospatharios of [...] and anagrapheus of the Armeniakoi.
Bibliography
- Catalogue of Byzantine Seals at Dumbarton Oaks and in the Fogg Museum of Art, Vol. 4: The East (Open in Zotero)
- The Armeniac Theme and the Fate of Its Leaders (Open in Zotero)
- Les sceaux byzantins de la Collection Henri Seyrig (Open in Zotero)
- Byzantine Lead Seals, Vol. 2 (Open in Zotero)
- Istoriceskoe znacenie italo-greceskoj ikonopisi: Izobra zenija Bogomatera v prozvedenijah italo-greceskih ikonopiscev i ih vlijanie na kompozicii nekotoryh proslavlennyh russkih ikon (Open in Zotero)
- Pour une nouvelle lecture des inscriptions de Skripou en Béotie (Open in Zotero)
Commentary
The owner’s first name is probably not Michael, because there is an abbreviation sign after Λ on line 1; Βασίλειος is likely. The restoration of the family name is also uncertain. The owner was most probably a protospatharios and belonged to one of the palatine associations of holders of his rank (such as those of the Chrysotriklinos, of the oikeiakoi, of the hetaireia, etc. cf. N. Oikonomides, "Pour une nouvelle lecture des inscriptions de Skripou en Béotie," TM 12 [1994] 486-488), but we do not know to which one.