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Leo (?) imperial protospatharios, chryseptes, and kommerkiarios of the West and of Dyrrachion (tenth century)

 
 

Obverse

A warrior (saint?) on horseback, his cape billowing behind, brandishing a spear. No epigraphy. Border of dots.

Reverse

Inscription of six lines. Border of dots.

Λ.


Σ

ΧΡΥΣΕ
ΤΚΜ
ΔΥΣΕΟ
ΔΟΡΧ

Λ[έων] β(ασιλικὸς) (πρωτο)σ[παθ(άριος)], χρυσε[ψη]τ(ὴς) (καὶ) κουμ[ερκ(ιάριος)] Δύσεο[ς (καὶ)] Δοραχ[ίου]

Obverse

A warrior (saint?) on horseback, his cape billowing behind, brandishing a spear. No epigraphy. Border of dots.

Reverse

Inscription of six lines. Border of dots.

Λ.


Σ

ΧΡΥΣΕ
ΤΚΜ
ΔΥΣΕΟ
ΔΟΡΧ

Λ[έων] β(ασιλικὸς) (πρωτο)σ[παθ(άριος)], χρυσε[ψη]τ(ὴς) (καὶ) κουμ[ερκ(ιάριος)] Δύσεο[ς (καὶ)] Δοραχ[ίου]

Accession number BZS.1947.2.1130
Diameter 23.0 mm
Previous Editions

DO Seals 1, no. 12.6.

Translation

Λέων βασιλικὸς πρωτοσπαθάριος, χρυσεψητὴς καὶ κουμερκιάριος Δύσεος καὶ Δοραχίου.

Leo (?) imperial protospatharios, chrysepsetes, and kommerkiarios of the West of and Dyrrachion.

Commentary

The reconstruction of the first name is uncertain; but the reading χρυσεψητής is very likely, if one takes into consideration the preserved remnants of letters as well as the space available (this would be enough to rule out the reading Χρυσοτρικλίνου at lines 3-4). The title chrysoepsestes, "smelter of gold," is attested in the lists of precedence of Uspenskij and Philotheos, in a text of De Cerimoniis dated 842-867, and on seals: Listes, 61, 155, 233; Cer., 631; Zacos-Veglery, no. 241 = Laurent, Corpus II, no. 649 of 730/1; and Laurent, Vatican, no. 19 of the eleventh century, where the last letter should be read as and the inscription analyzed as: Θεοδώρῳ κουβουκλησίῳ καὶ βασιλικῷ κουράτορι τς θείας χρυσοῦ ἐψήσεως or χρυσοεψήσεως. In these cases he appears as an imperial official, presumably a jeweler, undoubtedly related to the imperial workshops (cf. the word θείας on the Vatican seal). The presence of this official at Dyrrachion can be explained only by the office of kommerkiarios that he held.

Bibliography

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