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Romanos patrikios and strategos of the Islands (eleventh century)

 
 

Obverse

Bust of the Virgin orans, with the medallion in front of her. Inscription: ̅ΘΥ̅: Μή(τη)ρ Θ(εο)ῦ. Border of dots.

Reverse

Inscription of five lines preceded and followed by an ornament. Border of dots.

  
ΚΕ,Θ,
ΡΜΑΝ
Π̅Ρ̅Ι̅⸣ΣΤΡΑ
ΤΗΓΤ.
ΝΙΣΣΝ 
  


Κ(ύρι)ε β(οή)θ(ει) Ρωμανῷ π(ατ)ρι(κίῳ) (καὶ) στρατηγῷ τῶ[ν] Νίσσων

Obverse

Bust of the Virgin orans, with the medallion in front of her. Inscription: ̅ΘΥ̅: Μή(τη)ρ Θ(εο)ῦ. Border of dots.

Reverse

Inscription of five lines preceded and followed by an ornament. Border of dots.

  
ΚΕ,Θ,
ΡΜΑΝ
Π̅Ρ̅Ι̅⸣ΣΤΡΑ
ΤΗΓΤ.
ΝΙΣΣΝ 
  


Κ(ύρι)ε β(οή)θ(ει) Ρωμανῷ π(ατ)ρι(κίῳ) (καὶ) στρατηγῷ τῶ[ν] Νίσσων

Accession number BZS.1947.2.81
Diameter 32.0 mm; field: 27.0 mm
Previous Editions

DO Seals 2, no. 43.4.

Translation

Κύριε βοήθει ῾Ρωμανῷ πατρικίῳ καὶ στρατηγῷ τῶν Νίσσων.

Lord, help Romanos patrikios and strategos of the Islands.

Commentary

Line 5: what we read as the second Σ is a muddled letter that could as well be a Ι; in this case one should read Νησίων.

This is the only seal on which the reading "strategos of the Islands" is certain. In Corinth XII, no. 2699, there appears a very doubtful ninth-century specimen (one could as well read Νηκοπόλεως, although this is also uncertain); and Zacos, Seals II, no. 95, published a very "provincial" 10th century seal of an Artabasdos imperial protospatharios and ΣΤΡΑΤΕΓΟΝΣ, that he reasonably, but not incontestably, reads as Νήσων.

Bibliography