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Leo (metropolitan) of Kamachos (eleventh century)

 
 

Obverse

The Virgin standing, turning to left and holding Christ on her right arm. Sigla: ̅–θ̅υ : Μή(τη)ρ Θ(εο)ῦ. Inscription in two columns: ηRα|σι-ω|τ|ι : Ἡ Βασιώτι[σσα]. Border of dots.

Reverse

Inscription of six lines, top line missing. Border of dots.

....
οισλε
ντατον
καμαχ
παρθε
νε

[Σκέπ]οις Λέ[ο]ντα τὸν Καμάχου, Παρθένε.

Obverse

The Virgin standing, turning to left and holding Christ on her right arm. Sigla: ̅–θ̅υ : Μή(τη)ρ Θ(εο)ῦ. Inscription in two columns: ηRα|σι-ω|τ|ι : Ἡ Βασιώτι[σσα]. Border of dots.

Reverse

Inscription of six lines, top line missing. Border of dots.

....
οισλε
ντατον
καμαχ
παρθε
νε

[Σκέπ]οις Λέ[ο]ντα τὸν Καμάχου, Παρθένε.

Accession number BZS.1947.2.1030
Diameter 19.0 mm
Previous Editions

DO Seals 4, no. 65.2.

Laurent, Corpus V/1, no. 749 (listed as Shaw Coll. 1129). A similar specimen, but from a different boulloterion, is published in Laurent, Corpus V/3, no. 1778 (= Zacos, Seals II, no. 551). See also Wassiliou-Seibt, Siegel mit metrischen Legenden II, no. 2034a

Translation

Σκέποις Λέοντα τὸν Καμάχου, Παρθένε.

Virgin, may you watch over Leo of Kamachos.

Commentary

Twelve syllable verse. A metropolitan of Kamachos named Leo is attested in 1082 (Grumel, Regestes, nos. 926, 927). He could well be the owner of the present and/or of the following specimen.

The Virgin Vassiotissa, known also from other seals mentioned by Laurent, must have been a copy of the famous image of the Virgin, known to have been at the Constantinopolitan monastery τῶν Βάσσου (Janin, Églises, 61-62) by the ninth century. 

Kamachos (also Kamacha, the modern Kemah) is located to the southwest of Erzincan on the south bank of the Euphrates. It became a metropolis after 911 with the establishment of the theme of Mesopotamia (Laurent, Corpus V/1, 571). See also Sinclair II, 415 ff.

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)
  • Eastern Turkey: An Architectural and Archaeological Survey (Open in Zotero)
  • Byzantine Lead Seals, Vol. 2 (Open in Zotero)
  • Les regestes des actes du patriarcat de Constantinople, Vol. 1, Les regestes de 381 à 715 (Open in Zotero)
  • La géographie ecclésiastique de l’empire byzantin, vol. 2, Les églises et les monastères des grands centres byzantins (Open in Zotero)
  • Corpus der byzantinischen Siegel mit metrischen Legenden, Vol. 2, Siegellegenden von Ny bis inklusive Sphragis (Open in Zotero)