Constantine imperial protospatharios epi tou Chrysotriklinou and domestikos of the Optimatoi (tenth century)
Obverse
Peacock with open tail. Circular inscription. Border of dots.
κεοηθτσλκ.
Κ(ύρι)ε βοήθ(ει) τῷ σῷ δούλ(ῳ) Κω[ν(σταντίνῳ)]
Reverse
Inscription of five lines. Border of dots.
ˊΑˊΣΠ
ΑΘΕΠΙΤ.ΧΡ
.ΣΤΡ,Ο
Μ̣ΕΣΤ,Τ,ΟΠ
ΤΗΜΑΤ,
β(ασιλικῷ) (πρωτο)σπαθ(αρίῳ) ἐπὶ τοῦ Χρ[υ]σοτρ(ικλίνου) (καὶ) δομεστ(ίκῳ) τ(ῶν) Ὀπτημάτ(ων)
Obverse
Peacock with open tail. Circular inscription. Border of dots.
κεοηθτσλκ.
Κ(ύρι)ε βοήθ(ει) τῷ σῷ δούλ(ῳ) Κω[ν(σταντίνῳ)]
Reverse
Inscription of five lines. Border of dots.
ˊΑˊΣΠ
ΑΘΕΠΙΤ.ΧΡ
.ΣΤΡ,Ο
Μ̣ΕΣΤ,Τ,ΟΠ
ΤΗΜΑΤ,
β(ασιλικῷ) (πρωτο)σπαθ(αρίῳ) ἐπὶ τοῦ Χρ[υ]σοτρ(ικλίνου) (καὶ) δομεστ(ίκῳ) τ(ῶν) Ὀπτημάτ(ων)
| Accession number | BZS.1951.31.5.300 |
|---|---|
| Diameter | 23.0 mm |
| Previous Editions | DO Seals 3, no. 71.6. |
| Credit Line | Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Bequest of Thomas Whittemore. |
Translation
Κύριε βοήθει τῷ σῷ δούλῳ Κωνσταντίνῳ βασιλικῷ πρωτοσπαθαρίῳ ἐπὶ τοῦ Χρυσοτρικλίνου καὶ δομεστίκῳ τῶν Ὀπτημάτων.
Lord, help your servant Constantine, imperial protospatharios, epi tou Chrysotriklinou and domestic of the Optimatoi.
Bibliography
- Catalogue of Byzantine Seals at Dumbarton Oaks and at the Fogg Museum of Art, Vol. 3: West, Northwest, and Central Asia Minor and the Orient (Open in Zotero)
- Les listes de préséance byzantines des IXe et Xe siècles (Open in Zotero)
- Byzantinische Rang- und Ämterstruktur im 8. und 9. Jahrhundert: Faktoren und Tendenzen ihrer Entwicklung (Open in Zotero)
- Byzantine Praetorians: An Administrative, Institutional, and Social Survey of the Opsikion and Tagmata, c. 580-900 (Open in Zotero)
- Die byzantinische Armee im 10. und 11. Jahrhundert: Studien zur Organisation der Tagmata (Open in Zotero)
- Documents de sigillographie byzantine: La collection C. Orghidan (Open in Zotero)
Commentary
The theme of the Optimatoi, which appears in the sources in the late eighth century, encompassed the territory at the tip of Asia Minor opposite Constantinople all the way to the Sangarios. The name optimates initially designated an élite corps of foederati. But later, in this region muleteers were recruited for the army, no doubt in order to provide the necessary assistance to the regiments of the tagmata and for the imperial train of baggage when they had to move toward the eastern front. The commander of the theme was named domestikos, but he was sometimes called also strategos (no. 71.21), and had his own ek prosopou; later, we find also a doux or katepano of the Optimatoi, according to the eleventh century fashion of all provinces: nos. 71.17 and 71.25, cf. J.-Cl. Cheynet, "Du stratège de thème au duc," TM 9 (1985) 188; according to the model of the tagmata, the domestikos' second in command was named topoteretes (no. 71.31), while there existed no subdivisions, such as the tourmai or droungoi of the other themes. But so far as the other officials of civil administration are concerned (such as the anagrapheis, basilikoi, chartoularioi, judges, protonotarioi), the Optimatoi were identical to the other themes. There was also an episkepsis inside the theme (no. 71.22 below). On the other hand, we have extreme reservations about the existence of a kommerkiarios as suggested on the basis of a very poorly preserved seal (Laurent, Orghidan, no. 223).