Skip to Content

Basilakios (eleventh century)

 
 

Obverse

Bust of the Mother of God orans. Sigla: ̅ΘΥ̅ : Μήτηρ Θεοῦ. Linear border.

Reverse

Inscription of four lines, decorations above and below. Border of dots.


αγνη
βοηθοσ
τασι
λ...


Ἁγνὴ βοηθὸς τῷ Βασιλακί

Obverse

Bust of the Mother of God orans. Sigla: ̅ΘΥ̅ : Μήτηρ Θεοῦ. Linear border.

Reverse

Inscription of four lines, decorations above and below. Border of dots.


αγνη
βοηθοσ
τασι
λ...


Ἁγνὴ βοηθὸς τῷ Βασιλακί

Accession number BZS.1951.31.5.2365
Diameter 20.0 mm
Previous Editions

Cf. Wassiliou-Seibt, Siegel mit metrischen Legenden I, no. 7.

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

Translation

Ἁγνὴ βοηθὸς τῷ Βασιλακίῳ.

May the Holy One be of help to Basilakios.

Commentary

The inscription is one syllable short of a twelve-syllable verse but was included by Wassiliou-Seibt in her corpus of metrical seals. It may express a simple statement, "The Holy One is the source of help to Basilakios," but we have translated it as a wish or prayer.