John Thylakas spatharokandidatos, asekretis and judge of Lykandos (eleventh century)
Obverse
Inscription of four lines, a decoration below. Border of dots.
θ̅κ̅εRθ
τσδ,
Ισπαθ,
ροκ,ν
– –
Θ(εοτό)κε β(οή)θ(ει) τῷ σῷ δ(ούλῳ) Ἰω(άννῃ) σπαθ(α)ροκ(α)νδ(ι)δ(άτῳ)
Obverse
Inscription of four lines, a decoration below. Border of dots.
θ̅κ̅εRθ
τσδ,
Ισπαθ,
ροκ,ν
– –
Θ(εοτό)κε β(οή)θ(ει) τῷ σῷ δ(ούλῳ) Ἰω(άννῃ) σπαθ(α)ροκ(α)νδ(ι)δ(άτῳ)
Reverse
Inscription of six lines, top line missing. Border of dots.
...
κρητ,S
κριτηλυ
κανδ,
θηλαˋκ
[ἀση]κρῆτ(ις) (καὶ) κριτῇ Λυκανδ(οῦ) τῷ {ω} Θηλακᾷ
Accession number | BZS.1951.31.5.89 |
---|---|
Diameter | 29.0 mm; field: 24.0 mm |
Previous Editions | DO Seals 4, no. 53.2. See also John W. Nesbitt, "Overstruck Seals" SBS 2 (1990) 90-91. |
Credit Line | Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Bequest of Thomas Whittemore. |
Translation
Θεοτόκε βοήθει τῷ σῷ δούλῳ Ἰωάννῃ σπαθαροκανδιδάτῳ, ἀσηκρῆτις καὶ κριτῇ Λυκανδοῦ τῷ Θηλακᾷ.
Mother of God, help your servant John Thylakas, spatharokandidatos, asekretis, and judge of Lykandos.
Bibliography
- Catalogue of Byzantine Seals at Dumbarton Oaks and in the Fogg Museum of Art, Vol. 4: The East (Open in Zotero)
- Overstruck Seals in the Dumbarton Oaks Collection (Open in Zotero)
- 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)
- De Administrando Imperio (Open in Zotero)
- Histoire de la dynastie des H’amdanides de Jazîra et de Syrie (Open in Zotero)
- Byzantine Lead Seals, Vol. 2 (Open in Zotero)
- Michaelis Attaliotae Historia (Open in Zotero)
- Sigillographie de l’Empire byzantin (Open in Zotero)
- Katalog molivdovulov (Open in Zotero)
- Sfragistika (Open in Zotero)
- Kappadokien (Kappadokia, Charsianon, Sebasteia und Lykandos) (Open in Zotero)
- Les listes de préséance byzantines des IXe et Xe siècles (Open in Zotero)
- Mleh le Grand (Open in Zotero)
- Η Μικρά Ασία των θεμάτων. Ἐρευνες πάνω στην γεωγραφική φυσιογνωμία και προσωπογραφία των βυζαντινών θεμάτων της Μικράς Ασίας (Open in Zotero)
Commentary
The engraver mistakenly added a second ω after the ligature for τῷ in line 4 of the reverse; on line 5 he inscribed a superfluous abbreviation sign. One wonders whether these peculiarities would not just be remnants of a first strike. On the owner, see BZS.1951.31.5.1224.