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Niketas Anzas, chartoularios of the West (eleventh/twelfth century)

 
 

Obverse

Bust of the Virgin holding Christ. Sigla remaining: ΘΥ̅ : [Μ(ήτη)ρ] Θ(εο)ῦ. No visible border.

Reverse

Inscription of six lines. No visible border.

ΘΚ̅Ε
..τσ
νικΗ
χαρτ
δυσε
νζ

Θ(εοτό)κε β[οήθ(ει)] τῷ σῷ [δούλ]ῳ Νική[τᾳ] χαρτου(λαρίῳ) [τῆς] Δύσε[ως τῷ Ἀ]νζ[ᾷ]

Obverse

Bust of the Virgin holding Christ. Sigla remaining: ΘΥ̅ : [Μ(ήτη)ρ] Θ(εο)ῦ. No visible border.

Reverse

Inscription of six lines. No visible border.

ΘΚ̅Ε
..τσ
νικΗ
χαρτ
δυσε
νζ

Θ(εοτό)κε β[οήθ(ει)] τῷ σῷ [δούλ]ῳ Νική[τᾳ] χαρτου(λαρίῳ) [τῆς] Δύσε[ως τῷ Ἀ]νζ[ᾷ]

Accession number BZS.1947.2.2103
Diameter 30.0 mm
Previous Editions

Nesbitt and Seibt, “Anzas Family,” 200–201.

Translation

Θεοτόκε βοήθει τῷ σῷ δούλῳ Νικήτᾳ χαρτουλαρίῳ τῆς Δύσεως τῷ Ἀνζᾷ.

Theotokos, help your servant Niketas Anzas chartoularios of the West.

Commentary

The reading of this seal has been restored on the basis of a parallel specimen (BZS.1958.106.2666).

This is undoubtedly the same Niketas Anzas who was responsible for affairs in the West and who, as magistros, judge of the Velum, and chartoularios of the genikon, signed (after December 1098 and before December 1103) the abstract of a fiscal register concerning Radolibos in the dioikesis of Boleron and Strymon (in the theme of Strymon, the region of Zabaltia); Iviron 2, no. 48. Laurent published two specimens from the Dumbarton Oaks Collection (Corpus 2, no. 350), but these belonged to a much earlier Niketas Anzas protospatharios epi tou Chrysotriklinou, judge of the Hippodrome, and grand chartoularios.

Four seals of this type are known: two in the Dumbarton Oaks Collection (this specimen and BZS.1958.106.2666), one in Athens (no. 336; C. Stavrakos, Byzantinischen Bleisiegel mit Familiennamen, no. 15), and one in the former Zacos Collection (unpublished).

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)
  • Le Corpus des sceaux de l’empire byzantin (Open in Zotero)
  • Die byzantinischen Bleisiegel mit Familiennamen aus der Sammlung des Numismatischen Museums Athen (Open in Zotero)