Skip to Content

Stephen akolouthos (eleventh century, second half)

 
 

Obverse

Partially damaged bust of St. Nicholas, holding the book in his left hand and offering a blessing with his right. Epigraphy on either side: .|νι|κολ||οσ : [ὁ ἅ(γιος)] Νικόλαος. Border of dots.

Reverse

Inscription of five lines, a decoration above. Border of dots.


γρ.σ
σργιζ
κολθ
στεν
 ο. 

γραφ[ὰ]ς σφραγίζω ἀκολούθου Στεφάνο[υ]

Obverse

Partially damaged bust of St. Nicholas, holding the book in his left hand and offering a blessing with his right. Epigraphy on either side: .|νι|κολ||οσ : [ὁ ἅ(γιος)] Νικόλαος. Border of dots.

Reverse

Inscription of five lines, a decoration above. Border of dots.


γρ.σ
σργιζ
κολθ
στεν
 ο. 

γραφ[ὰ]ς σφραγίζω ἀκολούθου Στεφάνο[υ]

Accession number BZS.1958.106.1259
Diameter 22.0 mm
Previous Editions

Laurent, Bulles métriques, no. 62; cf. Wassiliou-Seibt, Siegel mit metrischen Legenden I, no. 333b.

Translation

γραφὰς σφραγίζω ἀκολούθου Στεφάνου.

I seal the correspondence of the akolouthos Stephen.

Commentary

By the eleventh century, the akolouthos had become commander of the foreign mercenaries (usually Varangians) making up the imperial guard: Oikonomides, Listes, 331.

Bibliography

  • Les bulles métriques dans la sigillographie byzantine (Open in Zotero)
  • Corpus der byzantinischen Siegel mit metrischen Legenden, Vol. 1, Siegellegenden von Alpha bis inclusive My (Open in Zotero)
  • Les listes de préséance byzantines des IXe et Xe siècles (Open in Zotero)