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Niketas Atzikoumites, proedros (eleventh century)

 
 

Obverse

Bust of the Mother of God holding the medallion of Christ before her. Visible on left: . Μ(ήτ)ηρ [Θ(εο)ῦ]. No border visible.

Reverse

Inscription of five lines beginning with a cross. Border of dots.

..ΚΕ,Θ,
.ΙΚΗΤ
.ΡΟΤΟ
.ΙΚΜΙ
ΤΙ

[Θ(εοτό)]κε β(οή)θ(ει) [Ν]ικήτᾳ (προ)[έ]δρo τῷ Ἀ[τζ]ικουμίτι

Obverse

Bust of the Mother of God holding the medallion of Christ before her. Visible on left: . Μ(ήτ)ηρ [Θ(εο)ῦ]. No border visible.

Reverse

Inscription of five lines beginning with a cross. Border of dots.

..ΚΕ,Θ,
.ΙΚΗΤ
.ΡΟΤΟ
.ΙΚΜΙ
ΤΙ

[Θ(εοτό)]κε β(οή)θ(ει) [Ν]ικήτᾳ (προ)[έ]δρo τῷ Ἀ[τζ]ικουμίτι

Accession number BZS 1951.31.5.1584
Diameter 27.0 mm; field: 24.0 mm
Previous Editions

Seibt-Nesbitt, "Odd surnames," no. 16.

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

Translation

Θεοτόκε βοήθει Νικήτᾳ προέδρo τῷ Ἀτζικουμίτι.

Mother of God, help (your servant) the proedros Niketas Atzikoumites.

Commentary

In their edition of this seal Seibt and Nesbitt cite a parallel seal showing an unusual ligature for προ- in the title proedros. Part of the same ligature appears at the end of the second line and will have had a small ο on top. There are also faint traces of a τζ ligature at the beginning of the fourth line which justifies the reading of the name Atzikoumites. Note a seeming variation of this name, Atzokometes, recorded in the Peira : PBW : Anonymus 12222.

Bibliography

  • Odd Surnames beginning with Alpha. A Selection of Examples of Byzantine Seals in the Harvard Collections (Open in Zotero)