John Spondyles, kommerkiarios of Dristra (eleventh century)
Obverse
Bust of St. Nicholas, blessing and holding book. Inscription in two columns: |Ν|Ι.|.|.: Ὁ ἅγιος Νικόλαος. Circular inscription along border of dots.
.ΚΕΟΗΘ,ΤΣΔΛ
Κύριε βοήθει τῷ σῷ δούλῳ
Reverse
Inscription of five lines preceded and followed by an ornament. Border of dots.
Ι̅ΚΟ
.ΕΡΚΙΡ,
.ΡΙΣΤΡΣ
.ΣΠΟΝ
ΔΥΛΗ
Ἰωάννῃ κομερκιαρίῳ Δρίστρας τῷ Σπονδύλῃ
Obverse
Bust of St. Nicholas, blessing and holding book. Inscription in two columns: |Ν|Ι.|.|.: Ὁ ἅγιος Νικόλαος. Circular inscription along border of dots.
.ΚΕΟΗΘ,ΤΣΔΛ
Κύριε βοήθει τῷ σῷ δούλῳ
Reverse
Inscription of five lines preceded and followed by an ornament. Border of dots.
Ι̅ΚΟ
.ΕΡΚΙΡ,
.ΡΙΣΤΡΣ
.ΣΠΟΝ
ΔΥΛΗ
Ἰωάννῃ κομερκιαρίῳ Δρίστρας τῷ Σπονδύλῃ
| Accession number | BZS.1955.1.3333 |
|---|---|
| Diameter | 25.0 mm |
| Previous Editions | DO Seals 1, no. 65.2. |
Translation
Κύριε βοήθει τῷ σῷ δούλῳ Ἰωάννῃ κομερκιαρίῳ Δρίστρας τῷ Σπονδύλῃ.
Lord, help your servant John Spondyles, kommerkiarios of Dristra.
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)
- Die byzantinischen Bleisiegel in Österreich, Vol. 1, Kaiserhof (Open in Zotero)
- Les duchés byzantins de Paristrion (Paradounavon) et de Bulgarie (Open in Zotero)
- Dolni Dunav--granichna zona na Vizantiĭskii︠a︡ Zapad: kŭm istorii︠a︡ta na severnita i severoiztochnite bŭlgarski zemi, krai︠a︡ na X-XII n (Open in Zotero)
- Pečati na Leon Sarakinopul ot Veliki Preslav (Open in Zotero)
Commentary
On the Spondyles family, see Seibt, Bleisiegel, 305-6 (the proposed identification of our John Spondyles with the owner of an iconic seal with the same name, who was chartoularios, dioiketes, and horreiarios [BZS.1955.1.3332], is possible but not certain). Cf. also the seal of John kommerkiarios of Dristra, a seal that also bears the image of St. Nicholas though without a family name (Jordanov, Corpus I, no. 21.8).
Dristra or Dorostolon (modern Silistra on the Danube) was organized by the Byzantines as a strategeia following its conquest in 971 (cf. Listes, 362). It may have passed to the Bulgars between 986 and 1000 (contrary to Bulgarian scholars, Bǎnescu, Duchés, 48-54, maintained that the city remained continuously under Byzzantine control). After 1000, it became a major administrative center, probably the seat of the katepano of Paradounavon, and had important economic activities, in spite of the Petcheneg threat of the eleventh century. See also V. Tŭpkova-Zaimova, Dolni Dunav--granična zona na viznatijskija zapad (Sofia, 1976); I. Jordanov, "Pečati na Leon Sarakinopul ot Veliki Preslav," Arheologija 24/1 (1982) 12-23; and DO Seals 1, no. 67.1 (BZS.1958.106.4797).