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Sergios patrikios and strategos (eighth century)

 
 

Obverse

Cruciform invocative monogram (type V); in the quarters: τω -  | λω - σ. Wreath border.

Θεότοκε βοήθει τῷ δοῦλῳ σοῦ

Reverse

Inscription of four lines. Above and below, a cross. Wreath border.


σεργι
ωπτρικ
Ιωστρ
τηγω

Σεργίῳ πατρικίῳ καὶ στρατηγῷ

Obverse

Cruciform invocative monogram (type V); in the quarters: τω -  | λω - σ. Wreath border.

Θεότοκε βοήθει τῷ δοῦλῳ σοῦ

Reverse

Inscription of four lines. Above and below, a cross. Wreath border.


σεργι
ωπτρικ
Ιωστρ
τηγω

Σεργίῳ πατρικίῳ καὶ στρατηγῷ

Accession number BZS.1955.1.1149
Diameter 31.0 mm
Previous Editions

Zacos–Veglery, no. 2355b

Translation

Θεότοκε βοήθει τῷ δοῦλῳ σοῦ Σεργίῳ πατρικίῳ καὶ στρατηγῷ.

Mother of God, help your servant Sergios patrikios and strategos.

Commentary

Four seals with this design belonging to a Sergios patrikios and strategos are in the collections of Dumbarton Oaks and the Harvard Art Museums. There are at least two variants, based on line breaks. The variant reverses are similar those in another series belonging to a Sergios patrikios and strategos, and so the two groups may belong to the same official (see, e.g., BZS.1955.1.2103; Zacos–Veglery, no. 996a).

A third type could possibly belong to the same officer (see, e.g., BZS.1958.106.4745; Zacos–Veglery, no. 2356). Zacos–Veglery reads the reverse as Sergios patrikios and strategos of Sicily, and possibly identifies the officer as a known strategos of Sicily under Leo III. The final line, however, is clearly γω, not γσικ.

Bibliography