John Mitylenaios, imperial protospatharios and judge of the Optimatoi (tenth/eleventh century)
Obverse
A lioness or panther. Circle of pellets within double border of dots.
Reverse
Inscription of six lines. Border of dots.
+Ι..
.ΠΘˋΡ,.
ΚΡΙΤ,ΤΝ
ΟΠΤΙΜ
Τ,ΤΜΙ
ΤΥΛΗΝ
Ἰω(άννῃ) β(ασιλικῷ) [(πρωτο)σ]παθαρ(ίῳ) [(καὶ)] κριτ(ῇ) τῶν Ὀπτιμάτ(ων) τῷ Μιτυλην(αίῳ)
Accession number | BZS.1947.2.1202 |
---|---|
Diameter | 30.0 mm |
Previous Editions | DO Seals 3, no. 71.24. |
Translation
Ἰωάννῃ βασιλικῷ πρωτοσπαθαρίῳ καὶ κριτῇ τῶν Ὀπτιμάτων τῷ Μιτυληναίῳ.
John Mitylenaios, imperial protospatharios and judge of the Optimatoi.
Bibliography
- Sigillographie de l’Empire byzantin (Open in Zotero)
- Byzantine Lead Seals, Vol. 2 (Open in Zotero)
- Documents de sigillographie byzantine: La collection C. Orghidan (Open in Zotero)
- Les listes de préséance byzantines des IXe et Xe siècles (Open in Zotero)
- Byzantinische Rang- und Ämterstruktur im 8. und 9. Jahrhundert: Faktoren und Tendenzen ihrer Entwicklung (Open in Zotero)
- Die byzantinische Armee im 10. und 11. Jahrhundert: Studien zur Organisation der Tagmata (Open in Zotero)
Commentary
In the DO Collection we have two more seals of a John Mitylenaios. One bears the titles of protospatharios and judge of Paphlagonia (but this is a seal with bilateral inscription). Leo of Synada, who was active shortly before and after the year 1000, addressed one of his letters to a judge Mitylenaios (no first name mentioned): Darrouzès, Épistoliers, 181. The poet Christophoros Mitylenaios had a brother named John, who died sometime in the early eleventh century (Kurtz, Mitylenaios, 26-29).
John Mitylenaios is recorded as protospatharios and judge of Cappadocia in a seal auctioned by Demos, Auction 4, 09/26/2021, lot 770.
Other judges of the Optimatoi known from their seals: Sig., 245; Zacos, Seals II, nos. 558, 692.