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Theophylaktos Romaios, protospatharios, judge of Seleukeia, and grand kourator (eleventh century)

 
 

Obverse

Bust of St. Michael, holding a scepter in his right hand and a globus cruciger in his left. Remains of an inscription: .Χ : [Μ(ι)]χ(αήλ). Border of pellets between two borders of dots.

Reverse

Inscription of seven lines followed by an ornament. Border of dots.

.....
.ΕΟΦΥΛ
ΚΤΣΠΘ
ΚΡΙΤ,ΣΕ..Υ
ΚΕΙΣΚ
ΡΤ,ΡΙΤ
ΡΜΙ
 

[Κύριε βοήθει Θ]εοφυλ(ά)κτῳ (πρωτο)σπαθ(αρίῳ), κριτ(ῇ) Σε[λε]υκείας, (καὶ) μ(ε)γ(άλῳ) κουράτ(ω)ρι τῷ Ῥωμαίῳ.

Obverse

Bust of St. Michael, holding a scepter in his right hand and a globus cruciger in his left. Remains of an inscription: .Χ : [Μ(ι)]χ(αήλ). Border of pellets between two borders of dots.

Reverse

Inscription of seven lines followed by an ornament. Border of dots.

.....
.ΕΟΦΥΛ
ΚΤΣΠΘ
ΚΡΙΤ,ΣΕ..Υ
ΚΕΙΣΚ
ΡΤ,ΡΙΤ
ΡΜΙ
 

[Κύριε βοήθει Θ]εοφυλ(ά)κτῳ (πρωτο)σπαθ(αρίῳ), κριτ(ῇ) Σε[λε]υκείας, (καὶ) μ(ε)γ(άλῳ) κουράτ(ω)ρι τῷ Ῥωμαίῳ.

Accession number BZS 1958.106.2063
Diameter 30.0 mm
Previous Editions

DO Seals 5 no. 6.20; mentioned in Seibt-Zarnitz, no. 2.2.1.

Translation

Κύριε βοήθει Θεοφυλάκτῳ πρωτοσπαθαρίῳ, κριτῇ Σελευκείας, καὶ μεγάλῳ κουράτωρι τῷ Ῥωμαίῳ.

Lord, help Theophylaktos Romaios, protospatharios, judge of Seleukeia, and grand kourator.

Commentary

The reading of this seal is certain. At first sight it presents a case where the owner leased a lucrative provincial post (judge of Seleukeia) while carrying out the more important office of grand kourator in the capital. But before we assume that Theophylaktos administered the province of Seleukeia through a representative, while he himself remained in Constantinople, a republished seal (Stavrakos, Bleisiegel Athen, no. 223 = Konstantopoulos, no. 147α) opens another possibility. This seal likewise bears a bust of the Archangel Michael on the obverse; two lines are missing on the reverse, but the following lines read [κ]ριτῇ Σ[ελ]ευκείας [(καὶ)] μ(ε)γ(άλῳ) κουράτορ(ι) Ταρσοῦ τῷ Ῥωμαίῳ. It is very likely that the owner of the Athens seal is the Theophylaktos Romaios of our specimen, in which case the title of grand kourator applies to Tarsos.

Cheynet has published an eleventh-century seal of Nicholas Serblias, kensor, judge, and grand kourator of Tarsos and Seleukia, in Collection Zacos, no. 44.

Bibliography

  • Catalogue of Byzantine Seals at Dumbarton Oaks and in the Fogg Museum of Art, Volume 5: The East (continued), Constantinople and Environs, Unknown Locations, Addenda, Uncertain Readings (Open in Zotero)
  • Die byzantinischen Bleisiegel mit Familiennamen aus der Sammlung des Numismatischen Museums Athen (Open in Zotero)
  • Βυζαντιακὰ μολυβδόβουλλα τοῦ ἐν ἈΘήναις Ἐθνικοῦ Νομισματικοῦ Μουσείου (Open in Zotero)
  • Sceaux de la collection Zacos (Bibliothèque nationale de France), se rapportant aux provinces orientales de l’empire byzantin (Open in Zotero)
  • Das byzantinische Bleisiegel als Kunstwerk: Katalog zur Ausstellung (Open in Zotero)