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John patrikios, (imperial) protospatharios and strategos of Sicily (tenth century)

 
 

Obverse

Peacock with tail outspread. Circular inscription starting at 12 o'clock. No visible border.

.........ΣΔΟΥΛΟ

Κύριε βοήθει τῷ σῷ δούλο

Reverse

Inscription of six lines. Border of dots.

ΑΝ
ΤΡ,ΚΙ
ΠΑΘΑ
ΤΡΑ
ΣΙΚ
ΑΣ

Ἰωάννῃ πατρικίῳ, βασιλικῷ πρωτοσπαθαρί καὶ στρατηγῷ Σικελίας

Obverse

Peacock with tail outspread. Circular inscription starting at 12 o'clock. No visible border.

.........ΣΔΟΥΛΟ

Κύριε βοήθει τῷ σῷ δούλο

Reverse

Inscription of six lines. Border of dots.

ΑΝ
ΤΡ,ΚΙ
ΠΑΘΑ
ΤΡΑ
ΣΙΚ
ΑΣ

Ἰωάννῃ πατρικίῳ, βασιλικῷ πρωτοσπαθαρί καὶ στρατηγῷ Σικελίας

Accession number BZS.1955.1.4490
Diameter 23.0 mm
Previous Editions

DO Seals 1, no. 5.17.
Cf. The seal of a "Giovanni patrizio e protospatario" is mentioned in Amari I, 338 note 1.

Translation

Κύριε βοήθει τῷ σῷ δούλο Ἰωάννῃ πατρικίῳ, βασιλικῷ πρωτοσπαθαρίῳ καὶ στρατηγῷ Σικελίας.

Lord, help your servant John patrikios, imperial protospatharios and strategos of Sicily.

Commentary

After 902 the strategoi of Sicily resided in Calabria; consequently it is conceivable that the owner of this seal is John Byzalon or Mouzalon, known (from Skylitzes, 263) as strategos of Calabria in 921/2 (Falkenhausen, Dominazione, 102-3, no. 68).

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)
  • Storia dei Musulmani di Sicilia (Open in Zotero)
  • La dominazione bizantina nell’Italia meridionale dal IX al XI secolo (Open in Zotero)
  • Ioannis Scylitzae Synopsis historiarum (Open in Zotero)
  • Byzantine Lead Seals, Vol. 1 (Open in Zotero)
  • Storia della Sicilia, Vol. 3, La Sicilia fra Roma e Bisanzio (Open in Zotero)
  • L’amministrazione del tema de Sicilia (Open in Zotero)
  • La Sicile byzantine: État de recherches (Open in Zotero)
  • Une liste arabe des stratèges du thème de Sicile (Open in Zotero)
  • Une source peu étudiée de l’histoire de la Sicile au haut Moyen-Age: La sigillographie byzantine (Open in Zotero)
  • Byzantinische Rang- und Ämterstruktur im 8. und 9. Jahrhundert: Faktoren und Tendenzen ihrer Entwicklung (Open in Zotero)
  • Theophanes Continuatus, Ioannes Cameniata, Symeon Magister, Georgius Monachus (Open in Zotero)