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Romanos Skleros, magistros and doux of Antioch (before June/July 1054)

 
 

Obverse

St. George standing, holding a spear in his right hand and a shield in his left. Traces of an inscription visible on the left: Ο|Α|Γ|Ι|Ο|Σ  
ὁ ἅγιος [Γεώργιος]. Border of dots.

Reverse

Inscription of six lines followed by an ornament. Border of dots.

ΚΕ,Θ,
ΡΜΑΝ
ΜΑΓΙΣΤΡ
ΔΚ,ΑΝΤ,
ΟΧΙΑΣΤ
ΣΚΛΙΡ
  

Κ(ύρι)ε β(οή)θ(ει) Ῥωμανῷ μαγίστρῳ (καὶ) δουκ(ὶ) Ἀντ(ι)οχίας τῷ Σκλιρῷ

Obverse

St. George standing, holding a spear in his right hand and a shield in his left. Traces of an inscription visible on the left: Ο|Α|Γ|Ι|Ο|Σ  
ὁ ἅγιος [Γεώργιος]. Border of dots.

Reverse

Inscription of six lines followed by an ornament. Border of dots.

ΚΕ,Θ,
ΡΜΑΝ
ΜΑΓΙΣΤΡ
ΔΚ,ΑΝΤ,
ΟΧΙΑΣΤ
ΣΚΛΙΡ
  

Κ(ύρι)ε β(οή)θ(ει) Ῥωμανῷ μαγίστρῳ (καὶ) δουκ(ὶ) Ἀντ(ι)οχίας τῷ Σκλιρῷ

Accession number BZS 1951.31.5.49
Diameter 35.0 mm; field: 32.0 mm
Previous Editions

DO Seals 5 no. 9.5. Laurent, “Gouverneurs d’Antioche,” 242 (no. 1); see idem, Vatican, no. 94 (copy); Seibt, Skleroi, 79. Parallel specimen published in Likhachev, Molivdovuly, 76, pl. LX, 9; Seyrig, no. 158.

Translation

Κύριε βοήθει Ῥωμανῷ μαγίστρῳ καὶ δουκὶ Ἀντιοχίας τῷ Σκλιρῷ.

Lord, help Romanos Skleros, magistros and doux of Antioch.

Commentary

A similar specimen, with a slightly different inscription, is published in Spink I, no. 44.

This seal and BZS.1958.106.5699 show that while doux of Antioch Skleros rose from magistros to proedros; a letter of Michael Keroularios dated to June/July 1054, which addresses him as proedros and doux of Antioch, indicates that this promotion took place shortly before this time. Other seals, showing a change of patron saint from St. George to St. Michael, proclaim Skleros proedros, doux of Antioch, and stratopedarches of the East (REG 13 [1900]: 471–73; Likhachev, Molivdovuly, 104, pl. LXIII, 9; Seyrig, no. 159; SBS 5 [1998]: 147), but it remains uncertain whether he attained this latter office before being dismissed by the empress Theodora (between August 1055 and September 1056; cf. Laurent, Vatican, 91–92), or, as is more likely, upon his restoration as doux of Antioch early in 1057 by Isaakios Komnenos, out of gratitude for Skleros’s support of his successful rebellion against Michael VI (cf. Seibt, Skleroi, 79–82; Todt, “Region,” 298–300). Skleros’s star continued to rise under this emperor, as shown by a seal (Spink I, no. 86) that records his subsequent promotion to kouropalates.

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)
  • La chronologie des gouverneurs d’Antioche sous la seconde domination byzantine (Open in Zotero)
  • Les sceaux byzantins du Médaillier Vatican (Open in Zotero)
  • Die Skleroi: Eine prosopographisch-sigillographische Studie (Open in Zotero)
  • Molivdovuly grečeskogo Vostoka (Open in Zotero)
  • Les sceaux byzantins de la Collection Henri Seyrig (Open in Zotero)
  • Region und griechisch-orthodoxes Patriarchat von Antiocheia in mittelbyzantinischer Zeit und im Zeitalter der Kreuzzüge (969–1204) (Open in Zotero)