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Leo hypatos, protonotarios, and kommerkiarios of the West (ninth century)

 
 

Obverse

Cruciform invocative monogram, type V. In the angles: τσ|δΛ. Border of dots.

Θεοτόκε βοήθει τῷ σῷ δούλῳ

Reverse

Inscription in four lines. Border of dots.

λεοντι
υπτνο
τSκομερκ
τησδυσε

Λέοντι ὑπάτ(ῳ) (πρωτο)νοτ(άρίῳ) (καὶ) κομερκ(ιαρίῳ) τῆς Δύσε(ως)

Obverse

Cruciform invocative monogram, type V. In the angles: τσ|δΛ. Border of dots.

Θεοτόκε βοήθει τῷ σῷ δούλῳ

Reverse

Inscription in four lines. Border of dots.

λεοντι
υπτνο
τSκομερκ
τησδυσε

Λέοντι ὑπάτ(ῳ) (πρωτο)νοτ(άρίῳ) (καὶ) κομερκ(ιαρίῳ) τῆς Δύσε(ως)

Accession number BZS.1958.106.1614
Diameter 26.0 mm
Previous Editions

DO Seals 1, 1.27a.

Translation

Θεοτόκε βοήθει τῷ σῷ δούλῳ Λέοντι ὑπάτῳ, πρωτονοτάρίῳ καὶ κομμερκιαρίῳ τῆς Δύσεως.

Theotokos, help your servant Leo hypatos protonotarios and kommerikiarios of the West.

Commentary

This seal comes from the same boulloterion as BZS.1958.106.1813, and the readings are combined here.

This is the earliest known seal of an official of the West and it is problematic. In theory, a protonotarios was attached to a particular theme, and never to more than one (Ahrweiler, Recherches, 43 and note 9). In the case of this seal, it may be that Leo was the protonotarios of one (unspecified) theme and at the same time the kommerkiarios of the West; or could it be that at the time Dysis had a very specific meaning indicating a region with particular needs or problems. This is similar to the case of the anagrapheus of the West (BZS.1958.106.3080), where "the West" as a whole would be too large for a single official to perform the job of protonotarios.

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)