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Gregory imperial protonotarios and episkeptites of the metaton of Phrygia (ninth century)

 
 

Obverse

Cruciform invocative monogram (type V). In the quarters: ΤΩΣΩ|Δ|ΛΩ. Wreath border.

Θεοτόκε βοήθει τῷ σῷ δούλῳ

Reverse

Inscription of five lines. Wreath border.

ΓΡΙΓΟ
ΡΙ/ Α/ ΝΟ
..Ρ/ ΕΠΙΣ.
...ΜΗΤΑ/
ΦΡΥΓ/

Γριγορίῳ β(ασιλικῷ) (πρωτο)νο[τα]ρ(ίῳ) (καὶ) ἐπισ[κεπτ(ίτῃ)] μητά(του) Φρυγ(ίας)

Obverse

Cruciform invocative monogram (type V). In the quarters: ΤΩΣΩ|Δ|ΛΩ. Wreath border.

Θεοτόκε βοήθει τῷ σῷ δούλῳ

Reverse

Inscription of five lines. Wreath border.

ΓΡΙΓΟ
ΡΙ/ Α/ ΝΟ
..Ρ/ ΕΠΙΣ.
...ΜΗΤΑ/
ΦΡΥΓ/

Γριγορίῳ β(ασιλικῷ) (πρωτο)νο[τα]ρ(ίῳ) (καὶ) ἐπισ[κεπτ(ίτῃ)] μητά(του) Φρυγ(ίας)

Accession number BZS.1947.2.138
Diameter 29.0 mm; field: 24.0 mm
Previous Editions

DO Seals 3, no. 95.1.
Zacos-Veglery, no. 3115.

Translation

Θεοτόκε βοήθει τῷ σῷ δούλῳ Γριγορίῳ βασιλικῷ πρωτονοταρίῳ καὶ ἐπισκεπτίτῃ μητάτου Φρυγίας.

Theotokos, help your servant Gregory, imperial protonotarios and episkeptites of the metaton of Phrygia.

Commentary

The mountainous territory of Phrygia Salutaris and Phrygia Pactiana, famous since Antiquity for its horses (Phrygien und Pisidien, 63-64), mostly belonged to the theme of the Anatolikoi. During the mid-Byzantine period, a major state ranch for breeding horses and pack animals for the army was there; the metaton of Phrygia; it was administrated by a protonotarios (like those to whom our following seals belonged) and, being part of the major central service of the logothetes ton agelon, an official who may have been descended from the late Roman praepositus gregum and who controlled a second major metaton in the province of Asia with its own protonotarios (Zacos-Veglery, no 3077A). In the same service of the agelai were attached several episkeptitai, that is, administrators of domains from which the service gained revenue, such as Gregory (this seal). See Listes, 117, 338. See also DO Seals 3, no. 27.1.

Bibliography