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(The church or monastery of) St. Sergios of the property of Hormisdas (eighth century)

 
 

Obverse

A cross. Indeterminate border.

Reverse

Inscription of four lines. Indeterminate border.

.ουαγ
υσεργι
νορμ
δου

[τ]οῦ ἁγ[ίο]υ Σεργίου [τ]ῶν Ὁρμ[ίσ]δου

Obverse

A cross. Indeterminate border.

Reverse

Inscription of four lines. Indeterminate border.

.ουαγ
υσεργι
νορμ
δου

[τ]οῦ ἁγ[ίο]υ Σεργίου [τ]ῶν Ὁρμ[ίσ]δου

Accession number BZS.1958.106.5295
Diameter 27.0 mm
Previous Editions

DO Seals 5 no. 58.2; Zacos–Veglery, no. 1368; Laurent, Corpus 5.3: no. 1918.

Translation

τοῦ ἁγίου Σεργίου τῶν Ὁρμίσδου.

... of St. Sergios of the property of Hormisdas.

Commentary

It is possible that on the reverse there was another line above the first one visible.

The full name of the monastery of St. Sergios was Sts. Sergios and Bacchos (ἐν τοῖς Ὁρμίσδου). The phrase ἐν τοῖς Ὁρμίσδου refers to the palace of Hormisdas, an imperial complex named after a Persian prince. According to the Patria (231 and 279) Justinian, while living at the palace, founded a church of Sts. Sergios and Bacchos before becoming emperor. He may well have added a monastery since an abbot of the μονὴ τῶν Ὁρμίσδου was present at the council of 536 (Janin, Églises, 451). A hegoumenos τῶν Ὁρμίσδου, Gregory, attended the second council of Nicaea in 787.

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)
  • Byzantine Lead Seals, Vol. 1 (Open in Zotero)
  • Le Corpus des sceaux de l’empire byzantin (Open in Zotero)
  • Scriptores originum constantinopolitarum (Open in Zotero)
  • La géographie ecclésiastique de l’empire byzantin, Vol. 1, Le siège de Constantinople et le patriarcat oecuménique, Pt. 3, Les églises et les monastères (Open in Zotero)