Nikephoros Iasites, spatharios and taxiarches (eleventh century)
Obverse
Bust of Mother of God, holding the Christ child in her right hand. Sigla preserved at right: ΘΥ: [Μ(ήτη)ρ] Θ(εο)ῦ. Border of dots.
Obverse
Bust of Mother of God, holding the Christ child in her right hand. Sigla preserved at right: ΘΥ: [Μ(ήτη)ρ] Θ(εο)ῦ. Border of dots.
Reverse
Inscription of five lines. Border of dots.
Θκεr,θ,
Νικη,σπ
θαρ,sτα
αρχ,τι
ασιτ
Θ(εοτό)κε β(οή)θ(ει) Νικηφ(όρῳ) σπ[α]θαρ(ίῳ) (καὶ) ταξ[ι]άρχ(ῃ) τῷ Ἰασίτ(ῃ)
Accession number | BZS.1951.31.5.1388 |
---|---|
Diameter | 1.0 mm |
Credit Line | Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Bequest of Thomas Whittemore. |
Translation
Θεοτόκε βοήθει Νικηφόρῳ σπαθαρίῳ καὶ ταξιάρχῃ τῷ Ἰασίτῃ.
Mother of God, help Nikephoros Iasites, spatharios and taxiarches.
Bibliography
- Corpus of Byzantine Seals from Bulgaria (Open in Zotero)
- Die byzantinischen Bleisiegel in Österreich, Vol. 2, Zentral- und Provinzialverwaltung (Open in Zotero)
Commentary
The seal of Nikephoros Iasites, protospatharios and strategos of Cherson (eleventh century, first half) is published in Schlumberger and Birch. The seal of a Nike(tas/phoros) Iasites, protospatharios and strategos (eleventh century, first third) depicting a bust of St. Demetrios, is in the Preslav Museum of Archaeology (no. 21656; Jordanov, Corpus 2: no. 241). Contemporary to Nikephoros is Michael Iasites, who served in a number of high military posts along the eastern frontier in the 1030s and 1040s; see PBW Michael 111 for a list of seals and bibliography. In the third quarter of the eleventh century, Leo Iasites held a number of high provincial military posts, including strategos of Boukellarion and doux of Armeniakon; see Seibt, Bleisiegel, no. 40.
The surname Iasites is Armenian (Ասիտ).