Eusthatios metropolitan of Thessalonica, ek sakelliou (1178-1196)
Obverse
In the center, the Mother of God standing and holding the medallion of Christ. Standing to her left is an unknown bishop saint, and to the right, St. Peter. Although the details are obscured, a columnar inscription is visible between the central figure and St. Peter: Ο|Π|Ε|Τ|Ρ,: Ὁ ἅγιος Πέτρος. The remains of sigla may be visible at the top to the left and right of the central figure. Indeterminate border.
Reverse
Inscription of seven lines. Border of dots.
θεσαλιτ
δο.ποιμε
ναρχησμε
γραφειταπε.
νοσευαθι
οσεκσακε
λλι
Θεσσαλίτιδος ποιμενάρχης με γράφει ταπεινὸς Εὐσταθίος ἐκ σακελλίου
Obverse
In the center, the Mother of God standing and holding the medallion of Christ. Standing to her left is an unknown bishop saint, and to the right, St. Peter. Although the details are obscured, a columnar inscription is visible between the central figure and St. Peter: Ο|Π|Ε|Τ|Ρ,: Ὁ ἅγιος Πέτρος. The remains of sigla may be visible at the top to the left and right of the central figure. Indeterminate border.
Reverse
Inscription of seven lines. Border of dots.
θεσαλιτ
δο.ποιμε
ναρχησμε
γραφειταπε.
νοσευαθι
οσεκσακε
λλι
Θεσσαλίτιδος ποιμενάρχης με γράφει ταπεινὸς Εὐσταθίος ἐκ σακελλίου
| Accession number | BZS 1951.31.5.2322 |
|---|---|
| Diameter | 32.0 mm; field: 28.0 mm |
| Previous Editions | Laurent, Corpus V/1, no. 462. Cf. Wassiliou-Seibt, Siegel mit metrischen Legenden I, no. 941. |
| Credit Line | Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Bequest of Thomas Whittemore. |
Translation
Θεσσαλίτιδος ποιμενάρχης με γράφει
ταπεινὸς Εὐσταθίος ἐκ σακελλίου.
The one who wrote me is Thessaly's humble archbishop Eustathios, a former sakellios.
Bibliography
- Le Corpus des sceaux de l’empire byzantin (Open in Zotero)
- Corpus der byzantinischen Siegel mit metrischen Legenden, Vol. 1, Siegellegenden von Alpha bis inclusive My (Open in Zotero)
Commentary
The inscription consists of two dodecasyllabic verses. Although the first line is badly damaged, we accept Laurent's reading in his edition of the seal. If the identification is correct, the seal will have belonged to the famous Eustathios of Thessalonica, who here styles himself an archbishop in the common archaizing practice of the metropolitans of Thessalonica (see DO Seals 1, 50-51). Laurent also noted that the seal recorded an earlier step in Eustathios's career: before becoming metropolitan, he was sakellarios, i.e. the patriarchal sakellarios.