Alexios protospatharios and strategos of the Armeniakoi (eighth century)
Obverse
Cruciform invocative monogram (indeterminate type); in the quarters: .-σ.|δ-λ. Wreath border.
Reverse
Inscription of six lines, top line missing. Wreath border.
...
.ξι.
σπθ.
Sστρτιγ
τν
ρμμ
[Ἀλε]ξίῳ [(πρωτο)]σπαθα[ρ(ίῳ)] (καὶ) στρατιγῷ τῶν Ἀρμ(ενιακῶν)
Obverse
Cruciform invocative monogram (indeterminate type); in the quarters: .-σ.|δ-λ. Wreath border.
Reverse
Inscription of six lines, top line missing. Wreath border.
...
.ξι.
σπθ.
Sστρτιγ
τν
ρμμ
[Ἀλε]ξίῳ [(πρωτο)]σπαθα[ρ(ίῳ)] (καὶ) στρατιγῷ τῶν Ἀρμ(ενιακῶν)
| Accession number | BZS.1947.2.44 |
|---|---|
| Diameter | 25.0 mm |
| Previous Editions | DO Seals 4, no. 22.41. Laurent, Corpus II, no. 665; cf. J. Nesbitt, in Speculum 58 (1983) 771-72. |
Translation
Κύριε or Θεοτόκε βοήθει τῷ σῷ δούλῳ Ἀλεξίῳ πρωτοσπαθαρίῳ καὶ στρατιγῷ τῶν Ἀρμενιακῶν.
Lord or Mother of God, help your servant Alexios, protospatharios and strategos of the Armeniakoi.
Bibliography
- Catalogue of Byzantine Seals at Dumbarton Oaks and in the Fogg Museum of Art, volume 4: The East
- The Armeniac Theme and the Fate of Its Leaders
- Les sceaux byzantins de la Collection Henri Seyrig
- Byzantine Lead Seals, vol. 2
- Les listes de préséance byzantines des IXe et Xe siècles
- De Thematibus
- Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium
- Η Μικρά Ασία των θεμάτων. Ἐρευνες πάνω στην γεωγραφική φυσιογνωμία και προσωπογραφία των Βυζαντινών θεμάτων της Μικράς Ασίας
- Istoriceskoe znacenie italo-greceskoj ikonopisi: Izobra zenija Bogomatera v prozvedenijah italo-greceskih ikonopiscev i ih vlijanie na kompozicii nekotoryh proslavlennyh russkih ikon
- Le Corpus des sceaux de l’empire byzantin, vol. 2, L’administration centrale
- Theophanis Chronographia
- Kaiser Konstantin VI
- Ioannis Zonarae Epitome Historiarum, III
Commentary
The double mu in the last line of the rev. has been interpreted as the plural form of an abbreviation for "Armeniakoi" (cf. νν for νομίσματα). This eliminates the reading τῶν ἀρμαμέντων proposed by Laurent, which represented a surprising hapax in Byzantine administrative history. Moreover, there is no space for R (β[ασιλικῶν]) at the end of line 5, as Laurent surmised.
The owner could be identical to Alexios Mousele, strategos of the Armeniakoi in 791-2: see Theophanes, 466-468; Zonaras III, 292-3; Speck, Konstantin VI., 226-8; Mikra Asia them., 376.