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John Ele[sba]am, vestes, judge of the Velum of Thrace and Macedonia (eleventh century)

 
 

Obverse

Bust of the Virgin orans with medallion of Christ before her (Episkepsis type, according to Seibt, SBS 1 [1987] 54) Remains of an inscription: ΘΥ̅: Μήτηρ Θεοῦ. Border of dots.

Reverse

Inscription of seven lines. Border of dots.

ΘΚ̅ε.
Ι̅εστ,κ.
τητηλ.
θρακ,.α
δονι..
ελε...
αμ

Θεοτόκε βοήθει Ἰωάννῃ βέστ, κριτῇ τοῦ βήλου Θρᾴκης καὶ Μακεδονίας τῷ Ἐλεσβαάμ

Obverse

Bust of the Virgin orans with medallion of Christ before her (Episkepsis type, according to Seibt, SBS 1 [1987] 54) Remains of an inscription: ΘΥ̅: Μήτηρ Θεοῦ. Border of dots.

Reverse

Inscription of seven lines. Border of dots.

ΘΚ̅ε.
Ι̅εστ,κ.
τητηλ.
θρακ,.α
δονι..
ελε...
αμ

Θεοτόκε βοήθει Ἰωάννῃ βέστ, κριτῇ τοῦ βήλου Θρᾴκης καὶ Μακεδονίας τῷ Ἐλεσβαάμ

Accession number BZS.1958.106.2869
Diameter 24.0 mm; field: 22.0 mm
Previous Editions

DO Seals 1, no. 43.8.

Translation

Θεοτόκε βοήθει Ἰωάννῃ βέστῃ, κριτῇ τοῦ βήλου Θρᾴκης καὶ Μακεδονίας τῷ Ἐλεσβαάμ.

Theotokos, help John Ele[sba]am, vestes, judge of the Velum of Thrace and Macedonia.

Commentary

The family name can be deciphered with reasonable certainty thanks to a much better preserved seal of the same individual, issued when he was anthypatos, patrikios, and judge of Drougoubiteia (Lihačev, IZIGI, pl. VII, no. 12). The name is that of the sixth-century Abyssinian king and defender of Christians (cf. RE 5, 2327).

Bibliography

  • Catalogue of the Byzantine Seals at Dumbarton Oaks and at the Fogg Museum of Art, Vol. 1: Italy, North of the Balkans, North of the Black Sea (Open in Zotero)
  • Istoriceskoe znacenie italo-greceskoj ikonopisi: Izobra zenija Bogomatera v prozvedenijah italo-greceskih ikonopiscev i ih vlijanie na kompozicii nekotoryh proslavlennyh russkih ikon (Open in Zotero)
  • Philippes et la Macédoine orientale à l’époque chrétienne et byzantine; recherches d’histoire et d’archéologie (Open in Zotero)
  • Byzantinische Rang- und Ämterstruktur im 8. und 9. Jahrhundert: Faktoren und Tendenzen ihrer Entwicklung (Open in Zotero)
  • La Macédoine orientale à l’époque byzantine: à propos d'un livre récent (Open in Zotero)
  • Sigillographie de l’Empire byzantin (Open in Zotero)
  • Byzantine Lead Seals, Vol. 1 (Open in Zotero)
  • Byzantine Lead Seals, Vol. 2 (Open in Zotero)
  • Theophanes Continuatus, Ioannes Cameniata, Symeon Magister, Georgius Monachus (Open in Zotero)