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Basil (tenth century)

 
 

Obverse

Standing St. Michael, facing, winged, holding the scepter in his right hand and the globus in his left. No visible inscription. Indeterminate border.

Reverse

A patriarchal cross with pellets at the end of the arms. Set on either side of the cross is an inscription in four lines (one between the two bars of the cross, three under the lower arm). Border of dots.

Σ̅Τ̅Ρ̅Ε̅η...
χορ,συμμ.
χοσασ.
λει

Σταυρ εης συγχορῶν σύμμαχος Βασιλείῳ

Obverse

Standing St. Michael, facing, winged, holding the scepter in his right hand and the globus in his left. No visible inscription. Indeterminate border.

Reverse

A patriarchal cross with pellets at the end of the arms. Set on either side of the cross is an inscription in four lines (one between the two bars of the cross, three under the lower arm). Border of dots.

Σ̅Τ̅Ρ̅Ε̅η...
χορ,συμμ.
χοσασ.
λει

Σταυρ εης συγχορῶν σύμμαχος Βασιλείῳ

Accession number BZS.1947.2.1052
Diameter 19.0 mm
Previous Editions

Cf. Wassiliou-Seibt, Siegel mit metrischen Legenden II, no. 2258.

Translation

Σταυρὲ εἴης συγχορῶν σύμμαχος Βασιλείῳ.

(Holy) Cross, may you be an ally and the symbol of forgiveness to Basil.

Commentary

Fourteen-syllable poem consisting of two seven-syllable hemistichs. We follow the transcription given by Laurent in his unpublished catalogue of the Shaw Collection, not without reservations as to the correct reading of the epigraphy in the upper right portion of the reverse.

In her catalogue Wassiliou-Seibt transcribed the inscription as follows: Σταυρὸς κατ᾽ ἐχθρῶν σύμμαχος Βασιλείου. Although this makes for a proper twelve-syllable verse, we do not upon close inspection accept this as the correct reading.

Bibliography

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