Gregory imperial spatharokandidatos and tourmarches of Adrianoupolis (tenth century)
Obverse
Patriarchal cross on a schematically rendered mount (explicit reference to Calvary, cf. Grierson, Coins, 36) with X on first transverse bar and fleurons (up to the first arm). Along the border of dots, inscription.
ΚΕΟΗ.......ΥΛΟ
Κύριε βοήθει τῷ σῷ δούλο
Reverse
Inscription of six lines. No visible border.
ΡΗ
ΗˊΣΠ
ΑΘΑΡΟΚΑΝ
ΔΤΡΟΜΑ
ΡΧΗΑΔΡΗ
ΑΝΟΠΟΛˊ
Γρηγορήῳ βασιλικῷ σπαθαροκανδιδάτῳ καὶ τρομάρχῃ Ἀδρηανοπόλεως
Obverse
Patriarchal cross on a schematically rendered mount (explicit reference to Calvary, cf. Grierson, Coins, 36) with X on first transverse bar and fleurons (up to the first arm). Along the border of dots, inscription.
ΚΕΟΗ.......ΥΛΟ
Κύριε βοήθει τῷ σῷ δούλο
Reverse
Inscription of six lines. No visible border.
ΡΗ
ΗˊΣΠ
ΑΘΑΡΟΚΑΝ
ΔΤΡΟΜΑ
ΡΧΗΑΔΡΗ
ΑΝΟΠΟΛˊ
Γρηγορήῳ βασιλικῷ σπαθαροκανδιδάτῳ καὶ τρομάρχῃ Ἀδρηανοπόλεως
| Accession number | BZS.1955.1.1458 |
|---|---|
| Diameter | 18.0 mm |
| Previous Editions | DO Seals 1, no. 44.9. |
Translation
Κύριε βοήθει τῷ σῷ δούλο Γρηγορήῳ βασιλικῷ σπαθαροκανδιδάτῳ καὶ τρομάρχῃ Ἀδρηανοπόλεως.
Lord, help your servant Gregory imperial spatharokandidatos and tourmarches of Adrianoupolis.
Bibliography
- Catalogue of the Byzantine Seals at Dumbarton Oaks and at the Fogg Museum of Art, Vol. 1: Italy, North of the Balkans, North of the Black Sea (Open in Zotero)
- Notitiae Episcopatuum Ecclesiae Constantinopolitanae (Open in Zotero)
- Le kommerkion d’Abydos, Thessalonique et le commerce bulgare du 9e siècle (Open in Zotero)
- Armenian Miniature Paintings of the Monastic Library at San Lazzaro (Open in Zotero)
- Ioannis Scylitzae Synopsis historiarum (Open in Zotero)
- Μελέται περὶ τῆς διοικητικῆς διαιρέσεως καὶ τῆς ἐπαρχιακῆς διοικήσεως ἐν τῷ βυζαντινῷ κράτει (Open in Zotero)
- Dictionnaire d’histoire et de géographie ecclésiastiques (Open in Zotero)
- Le Corpus des sceaux de l’empire byzantin (Open in Zotero)
- La Thrace Orientale et La Mer Noire: Géographie Ecclésiastique et Prosopographie (VIIIe-XIIe Siècles) (Open in Zotero)
- Byzantine Coins (Open in Zotero)
Commentary
There are four Byzantine cities named Adrianoupolis that were also seats of bishops (see Darrouzès, Notitiae, index, s.v.). Presumably all four were also important enough to be seats of tourmarchai. We prefer to attribute our seals to the metropolis of Haemimontus because this city is known to have been a center of both civil and military administration. But this attribution is by no means certain.