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N. notarios of the sekreton (of the church) of the Antiphonetes (eleventh century)

 
 

Obverse

Bust of the Mother of God holding Christ on her right arm. Border of dots.

Reverse

Inscription of five lines. Border of dots.

....
νοταρ
σεκρετ
ταντιφ.
νητ

....νοταρ(ίου) [τ]οῦ σεκρέτ(ου) τοῦ Ἀντιφ[ω]νητοῦ

Obverse

Bust of the Mother of God holding Christ on her right arm. Border of dots.

Reverse

Inscription of five lines. Border of dots.

....
νοταρ
σεκρετ
ταντιφ.
νητ

....νοταρ(ίου) [τ]οῦ σεκρέτ(ου) τοῦ Ἀντιφ[ω]νητοῦ

Accession number BZS.1955.1.4929
Diameter 21.0 mm
Previous Editions

DO Seals 5 no. 40.2.

Translation

....νοταρίου τοῦ σεκρέτου τοῦ Ἀντιφωνητοῦ.

N. notarios of the sekreton (of the church) of the Antiphonetes.

Commentary

For information on the church of the Antiphonetes, see commentary for BZS.1958.106.169.

Cheynet ("Sceaux byzantins," no. 73) has noted that we have no information for the sekreton attached the church. However, this seal proves that the church, reputedly built by Empress Zoe, was in existence in the eleventh century and, through the sekreton attached to it, was a source of poor relief at this date.

In Paris, in the Fonds Zacos BnF (no. 3512), there is a parallel or similar specimen that belonged to a George hypatos and protonotarios of the sekreton of the Antiphonetes. The obverse bears a bust of the Mother of God holding Christ. We wish to thank an anonymous reader for this information. W. Seibt (BZ 100 [2007]: 234), in his review of DO Seals 5, notes however that this parallel is very badly preserved, and that he would prefer a reading of Leo to George.

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)
  • Sceaux byzantins des Musées d’Antioche et de Tarse (Open in Zotero)