John Doukas Angelos sebastokrator (1185–ca. 1200)
Obverse
Remnants of a Deesis scene. Christ, standing at the center, holding a book in his left hand. Sigla preserved at right: Χ̅Σ: [Ἰ(ησοῦ)ς] Χ(ριστὸ)ς. St. John, at left, with his head and arms raised towards Christ. Inscription to right: Ο|̅Ι̅|Ο|ΠΗΡ̅||ΜΟ| : ὁ (ἅγιος) Ἰω(άννης) ὁ Πρόδρομο(ς).
Reverse
Inscription of eight lines. Border of dots.
ΙΧΜ̣....
ΚΤΥΣΗΣ........
ΟΡΦΥΡΟ......
ΚΙΝΗΣ. . .
ΕΞΓΓΕΛΝ. . .
ΚΤΗΓΜΕΝ......
ΟΚΡΤ......
ΤΗΣΞ...
στιχωμ[ετρία] κτῦσης [σφραγὶς Ἰω(άννου)] πορφυρο[γέννους] Δούκαινης [μ(ητ)ρός παιδὸς] ἐξ Ἀγγελῶν [δὲ π(ατ)ρόθεν] κατηγμέν[ου καὶ σε]βαστοκράτ[ορος ἐκ] τῆς ἀξ[ίας]
Obverse
Remnants of a Deesis scene. Christ, standing at the center, holding a book in his left hand. Sigla preserved at right: Χ̅Σ: [Ἰ(ησοῦ)ς] Χ(ριστὸ)ς. St. John, at left, with his head and arms raised towards Christ. Inscription to right: Ο|̅Ι̅|Ο|ΠΗΡ̅||ΜΟ| : ὁ (ἅγιος) Ἰω(άννης) ὁ Πρόδρομο(ς).
Reverse
Inscription of eight lines. Border of dots.
ΙΧΜ̣....
ΚΤΥΣΗΣ........
ΟΡΦΥΡΟ......
ΚΙΝΗΣ. . .
ΕΞΓΓΕΛΝ. . .
ΚΤΗΓΜΕΝ......
ΟΚΡΤ......
ΤΗΣΞ...
στιχωμ[ετρία] κτῦσης [σφραγὶς Ἰω(άννου)] πορφυρο[γέννους] Δούκαινης [μ(ητ)ρός παιδὸς] ἐξ Ἀγγελῶν [δὲ π(ατ)ρόθεν] κατηγμέν[ου καὶ σε]βαστοκράτ[ορος ἐκ] τῆς ἀξ[ίας]
| Accession number | BZS.1951.31.5.537 |
|---|---|
| Condition | Broken; half preserved. |
| 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.1951.31.5.2858. 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.