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Phokas protospatharios and droungarios of Aigaion Pelagos (ninth century)

 
 

Obverse

Cruciform invocative monogram (type V); in the quarters: ΤΣ|ΔΛ. Wreath border.

Θεοτόκε βοήθει τῷ σῷ δούλῳ

Reverse

Inscription of four lines. Wreath border.

ΦΚ
ˊΣΠˊSΔΡΓ
ΓˊΤΕΓΕΟΥ
ΠΕΛΓ/

Φωκᾷ (πρωτο)σπα(θαρίῳ) (καὶ) δρουγγα(ρίῳ) τοῦ Ἐγέου Πελάγ(ους)

Obverse

Cruciform invocative monogram (type V); in the quarters: ΤΣ|ΔΛ. Wreath border.

Θεοτόκε βοήθει τῷ σῷ δούλῳ

Reverse

Inscription of four lines. Wreath border.

ΦΚ
ˊΣΠˊSΔΡΓ
ΓˊΤΕΓΕΟΥ
ΠΕΛΓ/

Φωκᾷ (πρωτο)σπα(θαρίῳ) (καὶ) δρουγγα(ρίῳ) τοῦ Ἐγέου Πελάγ(ους)

Accession number BZS.1947.2.85
Diameter 28.0 mm
Previous Editions

DO Seals 2, no. 40.9.

Translation

Θεοτόκε βοήθει τῷ σῷ δούλῳ Φωκᾷ πρωτοσπαθαρίῳ καὶ δρουγγαρίῳ τοῦ Ἐγέου Πελάγους.

Theotokos, help your servant Phokas, protospatharios and droungarios of the Aegean Sea.

Commentary

The first letter of the second line of the reverse is not clear. We read it as the abbreviation for proto-, but it is not out of the question that it is the abbreviation for imperial, in which case the owner would have held the title of basilikos spatharios.

Bibliography

  • Byzantine Lead Seals, Vol. 1 (Open in Zotero)
  • Les listes de préséance byzantines des IXe et Xe siècles (Open in Zotero)
  • Byzantinische Rang- und Ämterstruktur im 8. und 9. Jahrhundert: Faktoren und Tendenzen ihrer Entwicklung (Open in Zotero)