Anna Dalassene, prote (nun) and kouropalatissa (1067-1081)
Obverse
Bust of the Mother of God orans with the medallion of Christ before her. Sigla: μρ̅θυ̅ : Μ(ήτη)ρ Θ(εο)ῦ. Border of dots.
Reverse
Inscription in seven lines. Border of dots.
ΘΚΕΟ
.ΘΕΙΤΗΣΗ
.ΟΥΛΗΑΝΝΗ
ΑΚΟΥΡΟΠΑ
ΛΑΤΙΣΗΤΗ
ΔΑΛΑΣΣΙ
ΝΗ
Θ(εοτό)κε βο[ή]θει τῇ σῇ [δ]ούλῃ Ἄννῃ (πρώ)τ(ῃ), κουροπαλατίσῃ τῇ Δαλασσινῇ
Obverse
Bust of the Mother of God orans with the medallion of Christ before her. Sigla: μρ̅θυ̅ : Μ(ήτη)ρ Θ(εο)ῦ. Border of dots.
Reverse
Inscription in seven lines. Border of dots.
ΘΚΕΟ
.ΘΕΙΤΗΣΗ
.ΟΥΛΗΑΝΝΗ
ΑΚΟΥΡΟΠΑ
ΛΑΤΙΣΗΤΗ
ΔΑΛΑΣΣΙ
ΝΗ
Θ(εοτό)κε βο[ή]θει τῇ σῇ [δ]ούλῃ Ἄννῃ (πρώ)τ(ῃ), κουροπαλατίσῃ τῇ Δαλασσινῇ
| Accession number | BZS.1947.2.1116 |
|---|---|
| Diameter | 28.0 mm |
| Previous Editions | Zacos-Veglery, no. 2695a; and Laurent, Corpus V/2, no. 1460. |
Translation
Θεοτόκε βοήθει τῇ σῇ δούλῃ Ἄννῃ πρώτῃ, κουροπαλατίσῃ τῇ Δαλασσινῇ.
Mother of God, help your servant Anna Dalassene prote, kouropalatissa.
Bibliography
- Byzantine Lead Seals, Vol. 1 (Open in Zotero)
- Le Corpus des sceaux de l’empire byzantin (Open in Zotero)
Parallel Seals
Similar Seals
- Anna Dalassene, nun, mother of the emperor (eleventh/twelfth century)
- Anna Dalassene, nun, mother of the emperor (eleventh/twelfth century)
- Anna Dalassene, nun, mother of the emperor (eleventh/twelfth century)
- Anna Dalassene, nun, mother of the emperor (eleventh/twelfth century)
- Anna Dalassene, nun, mother of the emperor (eleventh/twelfth century)
- Anna Dalassene, nun, mother of the emperor (eleventh/twelfth century)
Commentary
This is the mother of Alexios I Komnenos and grandmother of Anna Komnene. We have preferred the reading nun and kouropalatissa to protokouropalatissa since she would have held the dignity of kouropalatissa by virtue of her husband John Komnenos' elevation to kouropalates by his brother the emperor Isaac I Komnenos in 1057; he held this dignity until his death in 1067. We prefer to read the abbreviation preceding kouropalatissa as πρώτη in keeping with her later vocation as a nun, in which case the seal will have been struck some time after 1072. On her career and the seals issued by her, see Cheynet, "Les Dalassenoi" (no. 16), in Société byzantine, vol. 2; and Eric McGeer, John Nesbitt, Byzantium in the Time of Troubles: The Continuation of the Chronicle of John Skylitzes (1057-1079), 14-17, with further references.