Nikephoros bishop of Belebouzdion (eleventh century)
Obverse
A bust (of St. Nikephoros) holding a small martyr's cross. No inscription visible. Border of dots.
Obverse
A bust (of St. Nikephoros) holding a small martyr's cross. No inscription visible. Border of dots.
Reverse
Inscription of five lines, final two letters between bars. Border of dots.
ΘΚΕ,.
ΝΙΚΗΦΟ.
ΕΠΙΣΚΟΠ
ΕΛΕ
ΣΔ,
Θ(εοτό)κε β(οή)[θ(ει)] Νικηφό[ρ(ῳ)] ἐπισκόπ(ῳ) Βελεβουσδ(ίου)
Accession number | BZS.1955.1.4663 |
---|---|
Diameter | 17.0 mm |
Previous Editions | DO Seals 1, no. 31.2a. |
Translation
Θεοτόκε βοήθει Νικηφόρῳ ἐπισκόπῳ Βελεβουσδίου.
Mother of God, help Nikephoros bishop of Belebouzdion.
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)
- Le fonds Coislin (Open in Zotero)
- Le Corpus des sceaux de l’empire byzantin (Open in Zotero)
- Byzantine Lead Seals, Vol. 2 (Open in Zotero)
Commentary
This specimen is similar to BZS.1958.106.153 but comes from a different boulloterion. As Laurent suggested, it is not impossible that the owner of this seal is Nikephoros of Belebouzdion who signed codex Coislin 72 in 1071-72: R. Devreesse, Le fonds Coislin, 64.
Belebouzdion, the Slavic name of modern Köstendil, was a suffragan bishopric of Ohrid. Cf. Laurent, Corpus V/2, 329.