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Eustathios protospatharios, judge of the Hippodromou, and epi tou mystikou domou (tenth century)

 
 

Obverse

A patriarchal cross (X at both crossbars) mounted on a base of two steps, with fleurons on either side rising to the top of the cross. Within a border of dots, a circular inscription.

κ.............σταθει

Κ(ύρι)[ε β(οή)θ(ει) τῷ σῷ δούλ(ῳ) Εὐ]σταθείῳ

Reverse

An inscription of five lines beginning with a cross. Decoration above. Border of dots.

  
ευστ..ι
ᾶσπαθ,κριτ,
επιτιππο
δρ,μυστι
κο..μ 

Εὐστ[αθ]ίῳ (πρωτο)σπαθ(αρίῳ), κριτ(ῇ) ἐπὶ τοῦ Ἱπποδρ(όμου) (καὶ) μυστικο[ῦ δ]ώμου

Obverse

A patriarchal cross (X at both crossbars) mounted on a base of two steps, with fleurons on either side rising to the top of the cross. Within a border of dots, a circular inscription.

κ.............σταθει

Κ(ύρι)[ε β(οή)θ(ει) τῷ σῷ δούλ(ῳ) Εὐ]σταθείῳ

Reverse

An inscription of five lines beginning with a cross. Decoration above. Border of dots.

  
ευστ..ι
ᾶσπαθ,κριτ,
επιτιππο
δρ,μυστι
κο..μ 

Εὐστ[αθ]ίῳ (πρωτο)σπαθ(αρίῳ), κριτ(ῇ) ἐπὶ τοῦ Ἱπποδρ(όμου) (καὶ) μυστικο[ῦ δ]ώμου

Accession number BZS.1947.2.702
Diameter 25.0 mm; field: 21.0 mm

Translation

Κύριε βοήθει τῷ σῷ δούλῳ Εὐσταθείῳ. Εὐσταθίῳ πρωτοσπαθαρίῳ, κριτῇ ἐπὶ τοῦ Ἱπποδρόμου καὶ μυστικοῦ δώμου.

Lord, help your servant Eustathios. Eustathios protospatharios, judge of the Hippodrome and epi tou mystikou domou.

Commentary

In his unpublished catalogue Laurent understood mystikos domos as the apartments of the Great Palace reserved for the emperor, his relatives, and those in his immediate service; the epi tou mystikou domou would in this case almost certainly be a eunuch entrusted with the supervision of this residential section of the palace. On the other hand, the office of the mystikos as it appears in the early tenth century was held by highly placed men who enjoyed the trust of the emperor; a seal cited by Oikonomides (Listes, 324) refers to an epi tou mystikou which seems to refer to the mystikos, a judicial official in charge of a distinct bureau and staff (mystographos, mystolektes). The fact that the owner was a judge of the Hippodrome favours the interpretation of the epi tou mystikou as a judicial official.

Bibliography

  • Les listes de préséance byzantines des IXe et Xe siècles (Open in Zotero)
  • Études sur l’histoire administrative de l’empire byzantin: Le mystique, ὁ μυστικός (Open in Zotero)