Lykastos hypatos and imperial spatharios (eighth century)
Obverse
Inscription of four lines, a cross above and below. Thin wreath border.
ΓΙ
ΤΡΙΣ
ΟΘΣ
ΒΟΗΘΗ
Ἅγια Τριὰς ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν βοήθη
Reverse
Inscription of five lines. Thin wreath border.
Λ̣Υ̣Κ̣̣Σ̣.̣
ΥΠΤΚ
ΒΣΙΙΚ
ΣΠΘΡ
Ι
Λυκάσ[τ]ῳ ὑπάτῳ κ(αὶ) βασιαικῷ σπαθαρίῳ
Obverse
Inscription of four lines, a cross above and below. Thin wreath border.
ΓΙ
ΤΡΙΣ
ΟΘΣ
ΒΟΗΘΗ
Ἅγια Τριὰς ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν βοήθη
Reverse
Inscription of five lines. Thin wreath border.
Λ̣Υ̣Κ̣̣Σ̣.̣
ΥΠΤΚ
ΒΣΙΙΚ
ΣΠΘΡ
Ι
Λυκάσ[τ]ῳ ὑπάτῳ κ(αὶ) βασιαικῷ σπαθαρίῳ
| Accession number | BZS.1951.31.5.674 |
|---|---|
| Diameter | 33.0 mm; field: 27.0 mm |
| Previous Editions | Zacos 917a. |
| Credit Line | Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Bequest of Thomas Whittemore. |
Translation
Ἅγια Τριὰς ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν βοήθη Λυκάστῳ ὑπάτῳ καὶ βασιλικῷ σπαθαρίῳ.
Holy Trinity, our God, help Lykastos, hypatos and imperial spatharios.
Commentary
The engraver had quite a time with the reverse inscription. In the third line he rendered the expected lambda as alpha (tacitly corrected in the final version), and in the last line he put the cross between the last two letters instead of at the end.