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Basil bishop of Stroumitza (eleventh/twelfth century)

 
 

Obverse

The Mother of God seated on a backless throne holding medallion of Christ. Sigla: ̅ΘΥ̅: Μή(τη)ρ Θ(εο)ῦ. Border of dots.

Reverse

Inscription of five lines, seemingly a cross above. Border of dots.

.
ΣΤΡΜΙ
.ΖΗΣΑΣΙ
ΛΕΙΟΝΑΓ
.ΚΕΠΕΑΡ
.ΙΕΡΗΑ

Στρουμί[τ]ζης Βασίλειον, Ἁγνή, [σ]κέπε ἀρ[χ]ιερῆα

Obverse

The Mother of God seated on a backless throne holding medallion of Christ. Sigla: ̅ΘΥ̅: Μή(τη)ρ Θ(εο)ῦ. Border of dots.

Reverse

Inscription of five lines, seemingly a cross above. Border of dots.

.
ΣΤΡΜΙ
.ΖΗΣΑΣΙ
ΛΕΙΟΝΑΓ
.ΚΕΠΕΑΡ
.ΙΕΡΗΑ

Στρουμί[τ]ζης Βασίλειον, Ἁγνή, [σ]κέπε ἀρ[χ]ιερῆα

Accession number BZS.1951.31.5.487
Diameter 22.0 mm
Previous Editions

DO Seals 1, no. 35.1. See also Laurent, Corpus V/2, no. 1508; cf. Wassiliou-Seibt, Siegel mit metrischen Legenden II, no. 2283.

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

Translation

Στρουμίτζης Βασίλειον, Ἁγνή, σκέπε ἀρχιερῆα.

Pure One, protect Basil, bishop of Stroumitza.

Commentary

The reverse inscription is a pseudo-fifteen syllable verse; however, the last word, ἀρχιερῆα, is not satisfactory.

The original name of this see was Tiberioupolis. A bishop Theoktistos may have been present at the Photian synod of 879/80. The earliest certain mention of the bishopric, a suffragan of Ohrid, is in a charter of 1020. Cf. Laurent, Corpus V/2, 335.

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)
  • Le Corpus des sceaux de l’empire byzantin (Open in Zotero)
  • Corpus der byzantinischen Siegel mit metrischen Legenden, Vol. 2, Siegellegenden von Ny bis inklusive Sphragis (Open in Zotero)