Nikephoros Anzas, vestes, protonotarios of the Petrion and judge of the Islands (eleventh century)
Obverse
Bust of the Virgin holding the Child. Sigla: ΘΥ: Μήτηρ Θεοῦ. Indeterminate border.
Reverse
Inscription of six lines. Indeterminate border.
.ικηφορ
εστηΑν.
ταριτπ.
τρικριτη
τννησν
τανζα
Νικηφόρῳ βέστῃ, πρωτονοταρίῳ τοῦ Πετρίου καὶ κριτῇ τῶν Νήσων τῷ Ἀνζᾷ
Obverse
Bust of the Virgin holding the Child. Sigla: ΘΥ: Μήτηρ Θεοῦ. Indeterminate border.
Reverse
Inscription of six lines. Indeterminate border.
.ικηφορ
εστηΑν.
ταριτπ.
τρικριτη
τννησν
τανζα
Νικηφόρῳ βέστῃ, πρωτονοταρίῳ τοῦ Πετρίου καὶ κριτῇ τῶν Νήσων τῷ Ἀνζᾷ
| Accession number | BZS.1951.31.5.1320 |
|---|---|
| Diameter | 22.0 mm |
| Previous Editions | DO Seals 2, no. 43.3. |
| Credit Line | Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Bequest of Thomas Whittemore. |
Translation
Νικηφόρῳ βέστῃ, πρωτονοταρίῳ τοῦ Πετρίου καὶ κριτῇ τῶν Νήσων τῷ Ἀνζᾷ.
Nikephoros vestes, protonotarios of the Petrion and judge of the Islands.
Bibliography
- Catalogue of the Byzantine Seals at Dumbarton Oaks and at the Fogg Museum of Art, vol. 2: South of the Balkans, the Islands, south of Asia Minor
- L’évolution de l’organisation administrative de l’empire byzantin au XIe siècle (1025–1118)
- Sigillographie de l’Empire byzantin
- Le Corpus des sceaux de l’empire byzantin, vol. 2, L’administration centrale
- Byzantine Lead Seals, vol. 1
- Molivdovuly grečeskogo Vostoka
Commentary
The Petrion was a Constantinopolitan asylum for old people, founded by the empress Helen, wife of Constantine VII in 10th century. It became a financial euages oikos in the 11th (Oikonomides, Évolution, 139). Nikephoros Anzas is known only from seals. At an earlier stage in his career, while already attached to the Petrion in the capacity of protonotarios, he held the inferior dignity of patrikios and exercised the function of symponos (Sig., 156 = Laurent, Corpus II, no. 1081; cf. no. 1082).