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John (man) of (the bishop or metropolitan) of Madyta (eleventh century)

 
 

Obverse

Bust of the Mother of God orans with the medallion of Christ on her breast. At left and right: Μ̅Θ̅ : Μ(ήτηρ) Θ(εοῦ). Border of dots.

Reverse

Inscription of four lines. Border of dots.


σκεποισ
ι̅μεντον
τμαδυ
τν

Σκέποις Ἰω(άννην) με{ν} τὸν τοῦ Μαδύτων

Obverse

Bust of the Mother of God orans with the medallion of Christ on her breast. At left and right: Μ̅Θ̅ : Μ(ήτηρ) Θ(εοῦ). Border of dots.

Reverse

Inscription of four lines. Border of dots.


σκεποισ
ι̅μεντον
τμαδυ
τν

Σκέποις Ἰω(άννην) με{ν} τὸν τοῦ Μαδύτων

Accession number BZS.1958.106.301
Diameter 17.0 mm; field: 12.0 mm
Previous Editions

DO Seals 5 no. 101.1a. Cf. Wassiliou-Seibt, Siegel mit metrischen Legenden II, no. 2021.

Translation

Σκέποις Ἰωάννην με τὸν τοῦ Μαδύτων.

Watch over me, John, the man of the bishop (or metropolitan) of Madyta.

Commentary

A twelve-syllable verse.

The phrase τὸν τοῦ Μαδύτων, which we have translated as "man of the bishop (or metropolitan) of Madyta" could also be taken to mean "nephew" of the bishop.

The engraver seems to have mistakenly added the letter N after ME (resulting in the particle μἐν instead of the expected μἐ) in line two on the reverse.

The see of Madyta, located opposite Abydos on the Hellespont, was raised to the rank of metropolis under Constantine X (see DO Seals 1 no. 55).

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)
  • 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)
  • Corpus der byzantinischen Siegel mit metrischen Legenden, Vol. 2, Siegellegenden von Ny bis inklusive Sphragis (Open in Zotero)