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Lazaros kouboukleisios and horreiarios of Chios (eleventh century)

 
 

Obverse

Inscription of four lines preceded and followed by decoration. Border of dots.

 
ΚΕΟ
ΗΘΕΙΤ
ΣΔΟΥΛ,
ΛΑΖΑΡ,

 

Κύριε βοήθει τῷ σῷ δούλ Λαζάρ

Reverse

Inscription of four lines preceded and followed by decoration. Border of dots.


.ΚΟΥ
ΚΛΗΣ
ΡΕΙΑΡΙ
ΧΙΟΥ

κουβουκλησίῳ καὶ ὡρειαρίῳ Χίου

Obverse

Inscription of four lines preceded and followed by decoration. Border of dots.

 
ΚΕΟ
ΗΘΕΙΤ
ΣΔΟΥΛ,
ΛΑΖΑΡ,

 

Κύριε βοήθει τῷ σῷ δούλ Λαζάρ

Reverse

Inscription of four lines preceded and followed by decoration. Border of dots.


.ΚΟΥ
ΚΛΗΣ
ΡΕΙΑΡΙ
ΧΙΟΥ

κουβουκλησίῳ καὶ ὡρειαρίῳ Χίου

Accession number BZS.1947.2.296
Diameter 22.0 mm
Previous Editions

DO Seals 2, no. 41.4a.
Laurent, Corpus V/1, no. 201 (erroneous reading).
 

Translation

Κύριε βοήθει τῷ σῷ δούλῳ Λαζάρῳ κουβουκλησίῳ καὶ ὡρειαρίῳ Χίου.

Lord, help your servant Lazaros kouboukleisios and horreiarios of Chios.

Commentary

See Cheynet, "sceaux d'horreiarioi," p. 14.

The island of Chios (cf. Zacos-Veglery, no. 168) became part of the theme of the Aigaion before becoming part of the theme of Samos. Local administration was ensured by a tax collector (dioiketes, DO Seals 2, no. 41.3), then (?) by an archon (DO Seals 2, nos. 41.1 and 41.2) while its agricultural revenue, considerable because of the mastic, was concentrated and marketed under special conditions, perhaps connected to the Church of Constantinople (DO Seals 2, nos. 41.4 and 41.5); there must have been at least one imperial domain (DO Seals 2, nos. 41.1). A strategos of Chios appears in the 11th century soon to be followed by a katepano and a doux.

The bishopric of Chios, a suffragan of Rhodes, is attested since the 4th century. The 11th century foundation of Nea Moni was a major event in the ecclesiastical history of the island.

See Zakythinos, Meletai, 17, 259-61; Malamut, Iles, esp. 236-37, 300-301, 322-23, 326, 500-501, 570-72; Laurent, Corpus V/1, 534; Fedalto, 208-210; ODB I, 423-24.

Bibliography

  • Catalogue of the Byzantine Seals at Dumbarton Oaks and at the Fogg Museum of Art, Vol. 2: South of the Balkans, the Islands, South of Asia Minor (Open in Zotero)
  • Le Corpus des sceaux de l’empire byzantin (Open in Zotero)
  • Byzantine Lead Seals, Vol. 1 (Open in Zotero)
  • Μελέται περὶ τῆς διοικητικῆς διαιρέσεως καὶ τῆς ἐπαρχιακῆς διοικήσεως ἐν τῷ βυζαντινῷ κράτει (Open in Zotero)
  • Les îles de l’empire byzantin: VIIIe-XIIe siècles (Open in Zotero)
  • Hierarchia Ecclesiastica Orientalis: Series episcoporum ecclesiarum christianarum orientalium (Open in Zotero)
  • Un aspect du ravitaillement de Constantinople aux Xe/XIe siècles d’après quelques sceaux d’horreiarioi (Open in Zotero)