Skip to Content

Theodore Proteuon, protospatharios and judge of the Armeniakoi (eleventh century, first half)

 
 

Obverse

Bust of the Virgin holding the Christ child on her left arm. Sigla: ΘΥ : Μή(τη)ρ Θ(εο)ῦ. Border of dots.

Reverse

Inscription of seven lines. Border of dots.

θ̅κ̅εRθ
τσ̅δ̅θε
δρ,σπθ
Sκριτ,τν
ρμενικ,
τπρ,τευ
οντ,

Θ(εοτό)κε β(οή)θ(ει) τῷ σ(ῷ) δ(ούλῳ) Θε[ο]δώρ(ῳ) (πρωτο)σπαθ(αρίῳ) (καὶ) κριτ(ῇ) τῶν Ἀρμενιακ(ῶν) τῷ Πρ(ω)τεύοντ(ι)

Obverse

Bust of the Virgin holding the Christ child on her left arm. Sigla: ΘΥ : Μή(τη)ρ Θ(εο)ῦ. Border of dots.

Reverse

Inscription of seven lines. Border of dots.

θ̅κ̅εRθ
τσ̅δ̅θε
δρ,σπθ
Sκριτ,τν
ρμενικ,
τπρ,τευ
οντ,

Θ(εοτό)κε β(οή)θ(ει) τῷ σ(ῷ) δ(ούλῳ) Θε[ο]δώρ(ῳ) (πρωτο)σπαθ(αρίῳ) (καὶ) κριτ(ῇ) τῶν Ἀρμενιακ(ῶν) τῷ Πρ(ω)τεύοντ(ι)

Accession number BZS.1951.31.5.495
Diameter 23.0 mm
Previous Editions

DO Seals 4, no. 22.23c. See also V. Laurent, "Mélanges d'épigraphie grecque et de sigillographie byzantine," EO 31 (1932) 442-43, and PBW : Theodoros 20255.

Credit Line Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Bequest of Thomas Whittemore.

Translation

Θεοτόκε βοήθει τῷ σῷ δούλῳ Θεοδώρῳ πρωτοσπαθαρίῳ καὶ κριτῇ τῶν Ἀρμενιακῶν τῷ Πρωτεύοντι.

Mother of God, help your servant Theodore Proteuon, protospatharios and judge of the Armeniakoi.

Commentary

The blank was too small for the die; the full inscription has been restored with reference to the parallels linked to this entry.

Bibliography

  • Catalogue of Byzantine Seals at Dumbarton Oaks and in the Fogg Museum of Art, Vol. 4: The East (Open in Zotero)
  • Mélanges d’épigraphie grecque et de sigillographie byzantine (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)
  • Les listes de préséance byzantines des IXe et Xe siècles (Open in Zotero)
  • De Thematibus (Open in Zotero)
  • Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium (Open in Zotero)
  • Η Μικρά Ασία των θεμάτων. Ἐρευνες πάνω στην γεωγραφική φυσιογνωμία και προσωπογραφία των βυζαντινών θεμάτων της Μικράς Ασίας (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)
  • Catalogue of the Byzantine Coins in the Dumbarton Oaks Collection and in the Whittemore Collection, Vol. 2, Phocas to Theodosius III (602–717) (Open in Zotero)