Constantine protospatharios epi tou Chrysotriklinou, katepano of the imperial axiomata and judge of the Boukellarioi (eleventh century)
Obverse
Bust of the Virgin holding Christ on her left arm. Sigla: ̅θ̅ : Μή(τη)ρ Θ(εοῦ). Remains of a circular inscription within a border of dots:
θκε......Τ.σδ,.
Θ(εοτό)κε [βοήθει] τ[ῷ] σῷ δ(ούλῳ)
Reverse
Inscription of seven lines. Border of dots.
κ̅.να
σπαθ,επι
τ,γκλ,ν,
κατεπτR
αΞημ΄S
κριτ,τ΄R
.ελαρι
.
Κ[ω]ν(σταντίνῳ) (πρωτο)σπαθ(αρίῳ), ἐπὶ τοῦ Χρ(υσοτρι)κλ(ί)ν(ου), κατεπ(άνω) τ(ῶν) β(ασιλικῶν) ἀξηωμ(άτων) (καὶ) κριτ(ῇ) τ(ῶν) Βου[κ]ελαρίω[ν]
Obverse
Bust of the Virgin holding Christ on her left arm. Sigla: ̅θ̅ : Μή(τη)ρ Θ(εοῦ). Remains of a circular inscription within a border of dots:
θκε......Τ.σδ,.
Θ(εοτό)κε [βοήθει] τ[ῷ] σῷ δ(ούλῳ)
Reverse
Inscription of seven lines. Border of dots.
κ̅.να
σπαθ,επι
τ,γκλ,ν,
κατεπτR
αΞημ΄S
κριτ,τ΄R
.ελαρι
.
Κ[ω]ν(σταντίνῳ) (πρωτο)σπαθ(αρίῳ), ἐπὶ τοῦ Χρ(υσοτρι)κλ(ί)ν(ου), κατεπ(άνω) τ(ῶν) β(ασιλικῶν) ἀξηωμ(άτων) (καὶ) κριτ(ῇ) τ(ῶν) Βου[κ]ελαρίω[ν]
| Accession number | BZS.1947.2.647 |
|---|---|
| Diameter | 29.0 mm |
| Previous Editions | DO Seals 4, no. 1.11. |
Translation
Θεοτόκε βοήθει τῷ σῷ δούλῳ Κωνσταντίνῳ πρωτοσπαθαρίῳ, ἐπὶ τοῦ Χρυσοτρικλίνου, κατεπάνω τῶν βασιλικῶν ἀξηωμάτων καὶ κριτῇ τῶν Βουκελαρίων.
Mother of God, help your servant Constantine protospatharios epi tou Chrysotriklinou, katepano of the imperial axiomata, and judge of the Boukellarioi.
Bibliography
- Catalogue of Byzantine Seals at Dumbarton Oaks and in the Fogg Museum of Art, Vol. 4: The East (Open in Zotero)
- Byzantine Lead Seals, Vol. 2 (Open in Zotero)
- Alexiade: Règne de l’empereur Alexis I Comnène, 1081–1118 (Open in Zotero)
- Le Corpus des sceaux de l’empire byzantin (Open in Zotero)
- Les listes de préséance byzantines des IXe et Xe siècles (Open in Zotero)
- Byzantine Praetorians: An Administrative, Institutional, and Social Survey of the Opsikion and Tagmata, c. 580-900 (Open in Zotero)
- Galatien und Lykaonien (Open in Zotero)
- De Thematibus (Open in Zotero)
- Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium (Open in Zotero)
- Paphlagonien und Honorias (Open in Zotero)
- Η Μικρά Ασία των θεμάτων. Ἐρευνες πάνω στην γεωγραφική φυσιογνωμία και προσωπογραφία των βυζαντινών θεμάτων της Μικράς Ασίας (Open in Zotero)
Commentary
A seal with the same name and titles but with a different layout (and no image of the Virgin) was published by Zacos, Seals II, no. 972. The owner of the present seal (and almost certainly,of the Zacos specimen) could be identical to Constantine Choirosphaktes who, according to Anna Comnena (Alexiade I, 121), was sent in 1081 to the court of Henry IV to distribute titles (axiomata) to the German nobles. He was then protoproedros; therefore, the present seal must be considerably earlier. Zacos, Seals II, no. 625 and Laurent, Corpus II, no. 1205 published a seal (from the Diamanti Collection) of Nicholas, patrikios, epi tou koitonos, judge of the Hippodrome, and katepano of the imperial axiomata. The title of katepano of the imperial axiomata would thus seem not to have been an ad hoc office (i.e., for the embassy), but to have involved a bureau with continuing functions.