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Theodore imperial spatharios and protonotarios of the Boukellarioi (ninth century)

 
 

Obverse

Cruciform invocative monogram (indeterminate type). In the quarters: τ-σ-λ. No border visible.

Reverse

Inscription of four lines, preceded and followed by a decoration. No border visible.

θεοδ
ΒσπθS
νοτριτν
Bκελ

Θεοδ[ώρ]ῳ β(ασιλκῷ) σπαθ(αρίῳ) (καὶ) (πρωτο)νοταρί(ῳ) τῶν Βουκελα(ρίων)

Obverse

Cruciform invocative monogram (indeterminate type). In the quarters: τ-σ-λ. No border visible.

Reverse

Inscription of four lines, preceded and followed by a decoration. No border visible.

θεοδ
ΒσπθS
νοτριτν
Bκελ

Θεοδ[ώρ]ῳ β(ασιλκῷ) σπαθ(αρίῳ) (καὶ) (πρωτο)νοταρί(ῳ) τῶν Βουκελα(ρίων)

Accession number BZS.1955.1.1212
Diameter 27.0 mm
Previous Editions

DO Seals 4, no. 1.23a.

Zacos-Veglery, nos. 2461. Another similar specimen is published in Seyrig, no. 169.

Translation

Θεοτόκε or Κύριε βοήθει τῷ σῷ δούλῳ Θεοδώρῳ βασιλκῷ σπαθαρίῳ καὶ πρωτονοταρίῳ τῶν Βουκελαρίων.

Mother of God or Lord, help your servant Theodore, imperial spatharios and protonotarios of the Boukellarioi.

Commentary

This seal and BZS.1958.106.961 seem to come from the same boulloterion, which may have been recut; or, at the least, they are accurate copies of each other.The owner's name could also be Theodosios (Θεοδοσίῳ), but this is less likely because of the space available and can be discarded thanks to the evidence offered by the Seyrig seal.

Bibliography

  • Catalogue of Byzantine Seals at Dumbarton Oaks and in the Fogg Museum of Art, Vol. 4: The East (Open in Zotero)
  • Byzantine Lead Seals, Vol. 2 (Open in Zotero)
  • Byzantine Lead Seals, Vol. 1 (Open in Zotero)
  • Les sceaux byzantins de la Collection Henri Seyrig (Open in Zotero)
  • Byzantine Praetorians: An Administrative, Institutional, and Social Survey of the Opsikion and Tagmata, c. 580-900 (Open in Zotero)
  • Galatien und Lykaonien (Open in Zotero)
  • De Thematibus (Open in Zotero)
  • Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium (Open in Zotero)
  • Paphlagonien und Honorias (Open in Zotero)
  • Η Μικρά Ασία των θεμάτων. Ἐρευνες πάνω στην γεωγραφική φυσιογνωμία και προσωπογραφία των βυζαντινών θεμάτων της Μικράς Ασίας (Open in Zotero)