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John kommerkiarios of Persthlavitza (eleventh century)

 
 

Obverse

Bust of St. John Prodromos blessing and holding a long cross. Inscription in two columns: .|.|Ο|ΔΡ,|Μ,: Ὁ ἅγιοςωάννης ὁ Πρόδρομος. Border of dots.

Reverse

Inscription of five lines, decoration below. Border of dots.

.ΚΕ..
.ΚΜ,Ρ
ΚΙΑΡΙΟ
ΠΕΡΣΘΛ,
,ΗΣ
·

Κύριε βοήθειωάννῃ κουμερκιαρίο Περσθλαβίτζης

Obverse

Bust of St. John Prodromos blessing and holding a long cross. Inscription in two columns: .|.|Ο|ΔΡ,|Μ,: Ὁ ἅγιοςωάννης ὁ Πρόδρομος. Border of dots.

Reverse

Inscription of five lines, decoration below. Border of dots.

.ΚΕ..
.ΚΜ,Ρ
ΚΙΑΡΙΟ
ΠΕΡΣΘΛ,
,ΗΣ
·

Κύριε βοήθειωάννῃ κουμερκιαρίο Περσθλαβίτζης

Accession number BZS.1947.2.137
Diameter 23.0 mm
Previous Editions

DO Seals 1, no. 78.2.
Oikonomides, Presthlavitza, no. 4. Another example of this seal is in the Mabbott collection (no. 80), American Numismatic Society.

Translation

Κύριε βοήθει Ἰωάννῃ κουμερκιαρίο Περσθλαβίτζης.

Lord, help John kommerkiarios of Persthlavitza.

Commentary

The literature concerning the probable location of "Little Preslav" is summarized in Oikonomides, Presthlavitza. The city could be placed at the mouth of the Danube River (at Prislava = Nufǎrul?). Established with its own strategos (DO Seals 1, no. 78.4), the city probably served as an entrepôt in trade between the Byzantines and the Rus during an eleventh century (hence the many seals of kommerkiarioi), only to decline in the twelfth, perhaps due to the development of new trade routes. I. Jordanov proposed that Preslavitza was also named Theodoroupolis by John Tzimiskes in 971, a name that disappeared when the city was recaptured by the Bulgars: I. Jordanov, "Koj bŭlgarski grad e bil narečen Teodoropol?" Vekove [1983] 58-62. But this point of view has been challenged by P. Diaconu, "Où se trouvait Théodoroupolis, nom consigné sur certains sceaux du Grand Preslav?" Vtori meždunaroden kongres po bŭlgaristika, Dokladi 6 (Sofia, 1987) 437-47.

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)
  • Presthlavitza, the Little Preslav (Open in Zotero)
  • Où se trouvait Théodoroupolis, nom consigné sur certains sceaux du Grand Preslav (Open in Zotero)