George epeiktes of the Great Church (ninth century)
Obverse
Cruciform invocative monogram (type VIII); in the quarters: τσ|.Λ : τῷ σῷ [δ]ούλῳ. Wreath border.
Reverse
Inscription of four lines. Wreath border.
γε.ρ
.ιεπηκ
τησ.
κλισ
Γε[ω]ρ[γ]ίῳ ἐπήκ[τῃ] τῆς Μ(ε)γ(άλης) Ἐκκλισ[ίας]
Obverse
Cruciform invocative monogram (type VIII); in the quarters: τσ|.Λ : τῷ σῷ [δ]ούλῳ. Wreath border.
Reverse
Inscription of four lines. Wreath border.
γε.ρ
.ιεπηκ
τησ.
κλισ
Γε[ω]ρ[γ]ίῳ ἐπήκ[τῃ] τῆς Μ(ε)γ(άλης) Ἐκκλισ[ίας]
| Accession number | BZS.1951.31.5.2866 |
|---|---|
| Diameter | 25.0 mm |
| Previous Editions | DO Seals 5 no. 42.23; Laurent, Corpus 5.1: no. 62. |
| Credit Line | Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Bequest of Thomas Whittemore. |
Translation
Κύριε βοήθει τῷ σῷ δούλῳ Γεωργίῳ ἐπήκτῃ τῆς Μεγάλης Ἐκκλισίας.
Lord, help your servant George epeiktes of the Great Church.
Bibliography
- Catalogue of Byzantine Seals at Dumbarton Oaks and in the Fogg Museum of Art, Volume 5: The East (continued), Constantinople and Environs, Unknown Locations, Addenda, Uncertain Readings (Open in Zotero)
- Le Corpus des sceaux de l’empire byzantin (Open in Zotero)
- Les listes de préséance byzantines des IXe et Xe siècles (Open in Zotero)
- Byzantine Lead Seals, Vol. 1 (Open in Zotero)
- Byzantine Lead Seals, Vol. 2 (Open in Zotero)
Commentary
Laurent read the second line of the inscription on the reverse as: ἐπὴ κ<τ(ημάτων)>. We have proposed ἐπήκ[τῃ] because it is a well-attested title, signifying someone who looked after the care of horses and beasts of burden, and who appears in a variety of contexts. See, for example, Listes, 339 (the epeiktes of the λογοθέτης τῶν ἀγελῶν), Zacos-Veglery nos. 1788 and 2380 (ἐπείκτης τῆς κογχύλης), 1806 (ἐπείκτης τῶν βασιλικῶν στάβλων), 2480C (βασιλικὸς ἐπείκτης), and Zacos, Seals II, nos. 96 (ἐπείκτης θεσαλονίκης) and 355 (ἐπείκτης τῶν μητάτων).