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Theodore Karamallos, imperial protospatharios, oikonomos of the euageis (oikoi) and anagrapheus of Paphlagonia (eleventh century)

 
 

Obverse

Bust of St. Theodore holding a spear and a shield. Vertical inscription visible at right: -ο|δ||ρ : [Ὁ ἅ(γιος) Θε]όδωρ(ος). Remains of a circular inscription at left. No visible border.

OY..

[Κ(ύρι)ε βοήθει τῷ σῷ δ]ού[λῳ]

Reverse

Inscription of seven lines. No visible border.

εοδρ,
σπαθ,οι
.ονομ,τν
..αγ,Sαν
.γραφ,πα
.λαγ,τ
καραμ

[Θ]εοδώρ(ῳ) [(πρωτο)]σπαθ(αρίῳ), οἰ[κ]ονόμ(ῳ) τῶν [εὐ]αγ(ῶν) (καὶ) ἀν[α]γραφ(εῖ) Πα[φ]λαγ(ονίας) τῷ Καραμ[άλλῳ].

Obverse

Bust of St. Theodore holding a spear and a shield. Vertical inscription visible at right: -ο|δ||ρ : [Ὁ ἅ(γιος) Θε]όδωρ(ος). Remains of a circular inscription at left. No visible border.

OY..

[Κ(ύρι)ε βοήθει τῷ σῷ δ]ού[λῳ]

Reverse

Inscription of seven lines. No visible border.

εοδρ,
σπαθ,οι
.ονομ,τν
..αγ,Sαν
.γραφ,πα
.λαγ,τ
καραμ

[Θ]εοδώρ(ῳ) [(πρωτο)]σπαθ(αρίῳ), οἰ[κ]ονόμ(ῳ) τῶν [εὐ]αγ(ῶν) (καὶ) ἀν[α]γραφ(εῖ) Πα[φ]λαγ(ονίας) τῷ Καραμ[άλλῳ].

Accession number BZS.1958.106.5046
Diameter 29.0 mm
Previous Editions

DO Seals 4, no. 11.2c.

Translation

Κύριε βοήθει τῷ σῷ δούλῳ Θεοδώρῳ πρωτοσπαθαρίῳ, οἰκονόμῳ τῶν εὐαγῶν καὶ ἀναγραφεῖ Παφλαγονίας τῷ Καραμάλλῳ.

Lord, help your servant Theodore Karamallos, protospatharios, oikonomos of the pious foundations and anagrapheus of Paphlagonia.

Commentary

There are two other seals for this individual: BZS.1951.31.5.157 and BZS.1958.106.3071. This seal and BZS.1958.106.3071 seem to be copies of BZS.1951.31.5.157, with a slightly different layout on the reverse. A similar specimen has been published by R. M. Harrison, Excavations at Saraçhane in Istanbul (Washington, D.C., 1986), 276, no. 738; the reading has been improved in SBS 3 (1993) 152.

The family name is restored thanks to the Saraçhane specimen. It is not impossible that the owner of the present seal is identical to Theodore Karamallos, anthypatos, patrikios, vestes, and ephoros (of the imperial kouratoreiai), whose seal is published (with the first name read as George) by Laurent, Orghidan, no. 309 = Laurent, Corpus II, no. 1137.

Bibliography

  • Catalogue of Byzantine Seals at Dumbarton Oaks and in the Fogg Museum of Art, Vol. 4: The East (Open in Zotero)
  • Le Corpus des sceaux de l’empire byzantin (Open in Zotero)
  • Documents de sigillographie byzantine: La collection C. Orghidan (Open in Zotero)
  • Excavations at Saraçhane in Istanbul, Vol. 1, The Excavations, Structures, Architectural Decoration, Small Finds, Coins, Bones, and Molluscs (Open in Zotero)
  • Byzantinische Bleisiegel in Berlin II (Open in Zotero)
  • De Thematibus (Open in Zotero)
  • Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium (Open in Zotero)
  • Paphlagonien und Honorias (Open in Zotero)
  • Η Μικρά Ασία των θεμάτων. Ἐρευνες πάνω στην γεωγραφική φυσιογνωμία και προσωπογραφία των βυζαντινών θεμάτων της Μικράς Ασίας (Open in Zotero)