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The bishop of Novgorod (eleventh/twelfth century)

 
 

Obverse

Bust of St. John the Theologian holding book. Inscription in two columns: Ο|Ι̅|ΟΘ.|Ο|ΛΟ|Γ|Ο,: Ὁ ἅγιος Ἰωάννης ὁ Θεολόγος. Border of dots.

Reverse

Inscription of five lines. Border of dots.

ΑΓΝΕ
ΣΚΕΠΟΙΣΜ
.ΤΟΝΘΥΤ
ΝΕΥΟΓΡΑ
ΔΝ

Ἁγνὲ σκέποις με τὸν θύτην Νευβογράδων

Obverse

Bust of St. John the Theologian holding book. Inscription in two columns: Ο|Ι̅|ΟΘ.|Ο|ΛΟ|Γ|Ο,: Ὁ ἅγιος Ἰωάννης ὁ Θεολόγος. Border of dots.

Reverse

Inscription of five lines. Border of dots.

ΑΓΝΕ
ΣΚΕΠΟΙΣΜ
.ΤΟΝΘΥΤ
ΝΕΥΟΓΡΑ
ΔΝ

Ἁγνὲ σκέποις με τὸν θύτην Νευβογράδων

Accession number BZS.1958.106.3623
Diameter 20.0 mm
Previous Editions

DO Seals 1, no. 84.1a.
Laurent, Corpus V/3, no. 1788; Seibt-Wassiliou, Siegel mit metrischen Legenden I, no. 4.

Translation

Ἁγνὲ σκέποις με τὸν θύτην Νευβογράδων.

Holy one, protect me, the bishop of Novgorod.

Commentary

This specimen comes from the same boulloterion as 1958.106.5570.

The reverse inscription is a correct twelve-syllable verse. Note that the same formula is used on the seal of another bishop of Novgorod, Niphon, who took office in 1130 (Laurent, Corpus V/1, no. 794). The form Νευογράδων also appears in Darrouzès, Notitiae, no. 13, line 761.

Laurent reasonably suggested that the representation of St. John on the obverse may indicate the name of the owner. In fact, we know of John Popynin, bishop of Novgorod in the early twelfth century (between 1108 [or 1110] and 1130?). See N. Baumgarten, Chronologie ecclésiastique des terres russes du Xe au XIIIe siècle (Rome, 1930) 46-74.

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)
  • Le Corpus des sceaux de l’empire byzantin (Open in Zotero)
  • Notitiae Episcopatuum Ecclesiae Constantinopolitanae (Open in Zotero)
  • Chronologie ecclésiastique des terres russes du Xe au XIIIe siècle (Open in Zotero)
  • L’organisation diocésaine de la Russie (Open in Zotero)