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N. deacon . . . epi tou theo. . . (?) (tenth/eleventh century)

 
 

Obverse

Bust of St. Panteleimon, nimbate, holding a short cross in his r. hand, and holding l. hand in blessing. Inscription to l. and r.: |Π|ΑΝ|Τ|Ε: Ὁ ἅγιος Παντελείμων. Circular inscription within an indeterminate border.

ΚΕΟΗ...ΤΩΣΩΔΟΥΛ

Κύριε βοήθει τῷ σῷ δούλ

Reverse

Inscription in five lines. Border of dots.

ΙΩΕ..
ΙΚΟΣΔΙΑ..
ΝΙΟΤ,ΑΓΙΕ
ΠΤΘΕΟ
..Κ 

. . .διακονίο τοῦ ἅγιου καὶ ἐπ τοῦ θεοφύλακτου . . .

Obverse

Bust of St. Panteleimon, nimbate, holding a short cross in his r. hand, and holding l. hand in blessing. Inscription to l. and r.: |Π|ΑΝ|Τ|Ε: Ὁ ἅγιος Παντελείμων. Circular inscription within an indeterminate border.

ΚΕΟΗ...ΤΩΣΩΔΟΥΛ

Κύριε βοήθει τῷ σῷ δούλ

Reverse

Inscription in five lines. Border of dots.

ΙΩΕ..
ΙΚΟΣΔΙΑ..
ΝΙΟΤ,ΑΓΙΕ
ΠΤΘΕΟ
..Κ 

. . .διακονίο τοῦ ἅγιου καὶ ἐπ τοῦ θεοφύλακτου . . .

Accession number BZS.1951.31.5.3655
Diameter 28.0 mm
Credit Line Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Bequest of Thomas Whittemore.

Translation

Κύριε βοήθει τῷ σῷ δούλῳ . . .διακονίο τοῦ ἅγιου καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ θεοφύλακτου . . .

Lord, help N., deacon of the holy and for the god-protected. . .

Commentary

The reverse inscription is extremely uncertain; the seal owner's name may be John, as the letters ΙΩ seem to be effaced as the beginning of the inscription after the cross, but this would be difficult to resolve with the apparent next few letters, εχ..ακος. The last few lines are also unclear; it seems to read in the third and fourth lines ΝΙΟΤ,ΑΡΙΞΕ|ΠΤΘΕΟ; however this would be very difficult to read. Thus, ἅγίου καὶ seems a more likely reading of the third line. Perhaps this individual is an epi tou (theophylaktou) koitonou. The one thing that seems to be certain within this inscription is that this individual is a deacon.