John Doukas Angelos sebastokrator (1185–ca. 1200)

Obverse

Remnants of a Deesis scene. Christ, standing at the center, right hand raised in blessing. The Mother of God, at left, with her head and arms raised towards Christ. Border of dots.

Reverse

Inscription of eight lines. Border of dots.

.....Ε.
......ΦΡΣΙ̅̅
........ΕΟΥΣ̣
........Μ̅Ρ̅ΟΣ̣ …
.........̣Ε ̅ ̅Ρ̅Ο...
........ΚΙΣΕ
........ΟΡΟΣΕΚ
.....Ισ

[στιχωμ]ετρ[ί]α [κτῦσης σ]φραγὶς Ἰω(άννου) [πορφυρογ]έννους [Δούκαινης] μ(ητ)ρός π[αιδὸς ἐξ Ἀγγελῶν] δὲ π(ατ)ρό[θεν] [κατηγμέν]ου καὶ σε[βαστοκράτ]ορος ἐκ [τῆς ἀξ]ίας

Obverse

Remnants of a Deesis scene. Christ, standing at the center, right hand raised in blessing. The Mother of God, at left, with her head and arms raised towards Christ. Border of dots.

Reverse

Inscription of eight lines. Border of dots.

.....Ε.
......ΦΡΣΙ̅̅
........ΕΟΥΣ̣
........Μ̅Ρ̅ΟΣ̣ …
.........̣Ε ̅ ̅Ρ̅Ο...
........ΚΙΣΕ
........ΟΡΟΣΕΚ
.....Ισ

Accession number	BZS.1951.31.5.2858
Condition	Broken in half.
Previous Editions	See PBW: Ioannes 469

Translation

στιχωμετρία κτῦσης σφραγὶς Ἰωάννου πορφυρογέννους Δούκαινης μητρός παιδὸς ἐξ Ἀγγελῶν δὲ πατρόθεν κατηγμένου καὶ σεβαστοκράτορος ἐκ τῆς ἀξίας.

This metrical seal is the property of John, born in the purple and son of a Doukas mother, also descended from the Angeloi on his father’s side, and a sebastokrator by appointment.

Commentary

This seal is edited jointly with BZS.1951.31.5.537. Since both specimens preserve complementary halves of the inscription, we have used one to indicate the letters missing from the other and to verify the parts of the inscription preserved in common.

The owner of this seal was almost certainly the uncle of emperors Isaac II Angelos (1185–1195) and Alexios III Angelos (1195–1203). He was granted the title of sebastokrator by his nephew Isaac. See D. Polemis, The Doukai: A Contribution to Byzantine Prosopography, p. 87; Varzos, K., Η Γενεαλογία των Κομνηνών, vol. 1, p. 644.

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