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Constantine sebastos (twelfth/thirteenth century)

 
 

Obverse

Military saint mounted on a prancing horse. Only one letter remains from the sigla (ε) so that the figure could be identified either as St. George or St. Theodore. Border of dots.

Reverse

Inscription of six lines. Border of dots.

Σφρσπ
.φυκσε̣
.ωνντιν̣
ονπερθλητ
εκπ̣σησλ
ησ̣ρυου

σφραγὶς π[έ]φυκα σεβαστοῦ [Κ]ωνσταντίνου ὅνπερ, ἀθλητά, ἐκ πάσης βλάβης ῥύου

Obverse

Military saint mounted on a prancing horse. Only one letter remains from the sigla (ε) so that the figure could be identified either as St. George or St. Theodore. Border of dots.

Reverse

Inscription of six lines. Border of dots.

Σφρσπ
.φυκσε̣
.ωνντιν̣
ονπερθλητ
εκπ̣σησλ
ησ̣ρυου

σφραγὶς π[έ]φυκα σεβαστοῦ [Κ]ωνσταντίνου ὅνπερ, ἀθλητά, ἐκ πάσης βλάβης ῥύου

Accession number BZS.1951.31.5.531
Diameter 30.0 mm; field: 26.0 mm
Previous Editions

Cf. Wassiliou-Seibt, Siegel mit metrischen Legenden II, no. 2722.

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

Translation

σφραγὶς πέφυκα σεβαστοῦ Κωνσταντίνου ὅνπερ, ἀθλητά, ἐκ πάσης βλάβης ῥύου.

I am the seal of the sebastos Constantine; Champion, preserve him from all harm.

Commentary

Remarkable iconography and a noteworthy metrical verse (composed of two dodecasyllables).

Bibliography

  • Corpus der byzantinischen Siegel mit metrischen Legenden, Vol. 2, Siegellegenden von Ny bis inklusive Sphragis (Open in Zotero)