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George Akropolites, grand logothetes (thirteenth century)

 
 

Obverse

Bust of St. George holding a round shield in his left hand. Sigla: ο||οσγ.|ρ|οσ: ὁ ἅγιος Γ[ε]ώργιος. Border of dots.

Reverse

Inscription of six lines. No border visible.

κροπο
Ιτουτσ.
σρτυσκυ
ρονυου
ντοσεγο
υογοθετ

Ἀκροπολίτου τὰς γρα[φ]άς, μάρτυς, κύρου ὁμωνυμοῦντος μεγάλου λογοθέτου

Obverse

Bust of St. George holding a round shield in his left hand. Sigla: ο||οσγ.|ρ|οσ: ὁ ἅγιος Γ[ε]ώργιος. Border of dots.

Reverse

Inscription of six lines. No border visible.

κροπο
Ιτουτσ.
σρτυσκυ
ρονυου
ντοσεγο
υογοθετ

Ἀκροπολίτου τὰς γρα[φ]άς, μάρτυς, κύρου ὁμωνυμοῦντος μεγάλου λογοθέτου

Accession number BZS.1951.31.5.1285
Diameter 42.0 mm
Previous Editions

Laurent, Corpus II, no. 597; Oikonomides, Dated Seals, no. 136; PBW : Georgios 20105. Cf. Wassiliou-Seibt, Siegel mit metrischen Legenden I, no. 71.

Credit Line Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Bequest of Thomas Whittemore.

Translation

Ἀκροπολίτου τὰς γραφὰς, μάρτυς, κύρου ὁμωνυμοῦντος μεγάλου λογοθέτου.

Martyr, confirm the letters of Akropolites, the megas logothetes who bears the same name as you.

Commentary

The owner of this seal is the well-known historian George Akropolites who was promoted to the rank of grand logothetes in 1256 and died in 1282. The seal will thus have been struck sometime in the intervening years.

Bibliography

  • Le Corpus des sceaux de l’empire byzantin (Open in Zotero)
  • A Collection of Dated Byzantine Lead Seals (Open in Zotero)
  • Corpus der byzantinischen Siegel mit metrischen Legenden, Vol. 1, Siegellegenden von Alpha bis inclusive My (Open in Zotero)