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Constantine imperial strator and kommerkiarios of the West (tenth century)

 
 

Obverse

Profile of (seemingly) an athlete with a muscular neck and straight nose, wearing a simple crown. Circular inscription along a border of dots.

κεοηθητσδουλο

Κ(ύρι)ε βοήθη τῷ σῷ δούλῳ

Reverse

Inscription of five lines; cross of dots above. Border of dots.


κνσ
τντστ
ρτρSκ
μερκι
τισδυ

Κωνσταντ(ίνῳ) β(ασιλικῷ) στράτωρ(ι) (καὶ) κουμερκια(ρίῳ) τῖς Δύ(σεως)

Obverse

Profile of (seemingly) an athlete with a muscular neck and straight nose, wearing a simple crown. Circular inscription along a border of dots.

κεοηθητσδουλο

Κ(ύρι)ε βοήθη τῷ σῷ δούλῳ

Reverse

Inscription of five lines; cross of dots above. Border of dots.


κνσ
τντστ
ρτρSκ
μερκι
τισδυ

Κωνσταντ(ίνῳ) β(ασιλικῷ) στράτωρ(ι) (καὶ) κουμερκια(ρίῳ) τῖς Δύ(σεως)

Accession number BZS.1951.31.5.1748
Diameter 25.0 mm
Previous Editions

DO Seals 1, no. 1.23.

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

Translation

Κύριε βοήθει τῷ σῷ δούλῳ Κωνσταντίνῳ βασιλικῷ στράτωρι καὶ κομμερκιαρίῳ τῆς Δύσεως.

Lord, help your servant Constantine, imperial strator and kommerkiarios of the West.

Commentary

In the ninth and tenth centuries, the kommerkiarioi were fiscal officials of the logothete of the genikon, related to the collection of the 10 percent tax on merchandise called kommerion (Listes, 313; Bibicou, Douanes, passim, Oikonomides, Kommerkiarioi, 49). Usually their jurisdiction was defined by the name of one city or of one theme. In the case of the kommerkiarioi of "the West", Bibicou is likely incorrect that they are in charge of the whole Balkan peninsula, especially because they coexist with kommerkiarioi of cities or themes belonging to the Byzantine West. It is more likely that their jurisdiction was limited to part of the Balkan peninsula, such as for example, the island of Corfu, where the baggage of Liutprand of Cremona was searched, but for which we have no seals of kommerkiarioi.

Bibliography

  • Catalogue of the Byzantine Seals at Dumbarton Oaks and at the Fogg Museum of Art, Vol. 1: Italy, North of the Balkans, North of the Black Sea (Open in Zotero)
  • Recherches sur les douanes à Byzance: L’octava, le "kommerkion" et les commerciares (Open in Zotero)
  • Les listes de préséance byzantines des IXe et Xe siècles (Open in Zotero)
  • Silk Trade and Production in Byzantium from the Sixth to the Ninth Century: The Seals of Kommerkiarioi (Open in Zotero)