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Stephen archbishop of Katepano of Vaasprakania (eleventh century)

 
 

Obverse

St. Stephen standing, holding a censer in his right hand. Inscription visible in column at left: τε|φα|νο|ς : [ὁ ἅ(γιος) Σ]τέφανος [ὁ Πρωτομάρτυς]. No visible border.

Reverse

Inscription of eight lines. No visible border.

..
δλ
ν
λορχ.
κοποτ
πν,R
κνι
[-]σ-

[Κ(ύρι)ε β(οή)θει τῷ σῷ] δούλ(ῳ) [Στεφά]νῳ ἀ[μαρτω]λο ἀρχ(ι)[επισ]κόπο τ(οῦ) [Κατε]πάν(ω) Βα[σπρ]ακανίας

Obverse

St. Stephen standing, holding a censer in his right hand. Inscription visible in column at left: τε|φα|νο|ς : [ὁ ἅ(γιος) Σ]τέφανος [ὁ Πρωτομάρτυς]. No visible border.

Reverse

Inscription of eight lines. No visible border.

..
δλ
ν
λορχ.
κοποτ
πν,R
κνι
[-]σ-

[Κ(ύρι)ε β(οή)θει τῷ σῷ] δούλ(ῳ) [Στεφά]νῳ ἀ[μαρτω]λο ἀρχ(ι)[επισ]κόπο τ(οῦ) [Κατε]πάν(ω) Βα[σπρ]ακανίας

Accession number BZS.1951.31.5.1106
Diameter 29.0 mm
Previous Editions

DO Seals 4, no. 77.1. See also V. Laurent, "Mélanges de géographie ecclesiastique," EO 32 (1933) 315 (= Corpus V/1, no. 870).

Credit Line Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Bequest of Thomas Whittemore.

Translation

Κύριε βοήθει τῷ σῷ δούλῳ Στεφάνῳ ἀμαρτωλο ἀρχιεπισκόπο τοῦ Κατεπάνω Βασπρακανίας.

Lord, help your servant, the sinner Stephen, archbishop of Katepano of Vaasprakania.

Commentary

This seal poses considerable difficulties in interpretation (Laurent, Corpus V/1, 676-77; Honigmann, Ostgrenze, 210). Matters become even more complicated, as the last sign of line 5 of the reverse seems to be something between a τ and a S, showing some uncertainty on the part of the engraver. Despite the loss of half the seal, the restored reading κατεπάνω is secure when allowance for letters and space is made. This creates the problem of the unprecedented — and incompatible — combination of an ecclesiastical and a military office. But this difficulty disappears when we recall that Katepano was also the name of a town, which was the seat of this official (cf. M. Thierry, “Notes de géographie historique sur le Vaspurakan,” REB 34 [1976] 167-68). The underlying assumption is that Stephen mentioned his seat and the name of the province in which it was situated much in the same way that Arethas signed his seal as Καισαρείας Καππαδοκίας (Laurent, Corpus V/1, no. 247).

The region of Vaasprakania, comprising the lands to the south and east of Lake Van, came into Byzantine control in 1021/22. It was established as a katepanate (based at Van) which lasted until the Byzantine defeat at Manzikert. See V. A. Arutjunova-Fidanjan, “Fema Vaspurakan (territorial’nyj sostav),” Vestnik obscestvennyh nauk AN Armjanskoj SSR 9 (1974) 92-99; W. Seibt, “Die Eingliederung von Vaspurakan in das Byzantinische Reich (etwa Anfang 1019 bzw. Anfang 1022),” Handes Amsorya 92 (1978) 49-66; Yuzbashian, “Administration byzantine,” 148-154; Kühn, Armee, 192-95; ODB 3, 2154; V. Sandrovskaja, “K istorii femy Vaspurakan,” VizVrem 55 (1994) 152-161; cf. SBS 6 (1999) 87.

Bibliography

  • Catalogue of Byzantine Seals at Dumbarton Oaks and in the Fogg Museum of Art, Vol. 4: The East (Open in Zotero)
  • Fema Vaspurakan (territorial’nyj sostav) (Open in Zotero)
  • L’administration byzantine en Arménie aux Xe–XIe siècles (Open in Zotero)
  • Die byzantinische Armee im 10. und 11. Jahrhundert: Studien zur Organisation der Tagmata (Open in Zotero)
  • Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium (Open in Zotero)
  • Die Eingliederung von Vaspurakan in das Byzantinische Reich (etwa Anfang 1019 bzw. Anfang 1022) (Open in Zotero)
  • K istorii femy Vaspurakan (Open in Zotero)
  • Die Ostgrenze des byzantinischen Reiches: von 363 bis 1071 nach griechischen, arabischen, syrischen und armenischen Quellen (Open in Zotero)
  • Le Corpus des sceaux de l’empire byzantin (Open in Zotero)
  • Mélanges de géographie ecclesiastique (Open in Zotero)
  • Notes de géographie historique sur le Vaspurakan (Open in Zotero)