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David Komnenos (before 1214)

 
 

Obverse

Badly effaced image of King David, holding a trefoil sceptre in his right hand and an akakia (or scroll) in his left. No lettering visible.

Reverse

An inscription of six lines, a cross above and a decoration below. Line border. The surface has been gouged to give the appearance of a channel.

̅̅̅σ..ευ
σφλε..ρ
φνκυροσ
̅̅̅κομνηνου
σιλεγγο
νουγιν
   

Δα(βὶ)δ βασ[ιλ]ε[ῦ] ἀσφαλὲ[ς γ]ραφῶν κύρος Δα(βὶ)δ Κομνηνοῦ βασιλεγγόνου γίνου

Obverse

Badly effaced image of King David, holding a trefoil sceptre in his right hand and an akakia (or scroll) in his left. No lettering visible.

Reverse

An inscription of six lines, a cross above and a decoration below. Line border. The surface has been gouged to give the appearance of a channel.

̅̅̅σ..ευ
σφλε..ρ
φνκυροσ
̅̅̅κομνηνου
σιλεγγο
νουγιν
   

Δα(βὶ)δ βασ[ιλ]ε[ῦ] ἀσφαλὲ[ς γ]ραφῶν κύρος Δα(βὶ)δ Κομνηνοῦ βασιλεγγόνου γίνου

Accession number BZS.1947.2.371
Diameter 45.0 mm; field: 38.0 mm
Previous Editions

Translation

Δαβὶδ βασιλεῦ ἀσφαλής γραφῶν κύρος Δαβὶδ Κομνηνοῦ βασιλεγγόνου γίνου.

King David, be the secure guarantor of the documents of the grandson of an emperor, David Komnenos.

Commentary

This specimen, weighing over 60 grams, appears to be a metallic copy of seals struck by David Komnenos, grandson of Andronikos I (1183-1185). There is no channel. The workmanship is very poor, and the inscription on the reverse contains two egregious and one minor error. Also worthy of note on this specimen is the use of the epithet "basileggonou" ("grandson of the emperor"), as opposed to "basilekgonou" ("descendant of the emperor") found on other seals attributed to David Komnenos.

Bibliography

  • Les bulles métriques dans la sigillographie byzantine (Open in Zotero)
  • Corpus der byzantinischen Siegel mit metrischen Legenden, Vol. 1, Siegellegenden von Alpha bis inclusive My (Open in Zotero)