Basil Tzirithon, protovestarches, judge of the Velum and of the Kibyrraiotai (eleventh century)
Obverse
Two figures standing to front. At left, St. Michael holding a labarum and a globus. Inscription: Ο|Ρ|Μ : ὁ ἄρχ(άγγελος) Μ(ι)χ(αήλ). At right, St. Nicholas blessing and holding book. Inscription: |Ν|Ι|ΚΛ|Α, : ὁ ἅ(γιος) Νικ(ό)λα(ος). Border of dots.
Obverse
Two figures standing to front. At left, St. Michael holding a labarum and a globus. Inscription: Ο|Ρ|Μ : ὁ ἄρχ(άγγελος) Μ(ι)χ(αήλ). At right, St. Nicholas blessing and holding book. Inscription: |Ν|Ι|ΚΛ|Α, : ὁ ἅ(γιος) Νικ(ό)λα(ος). Border of dots.
Reverse
Inscription of seven lines. Border of dots.
ΚΕ̅,Θ,
ΑΣΙΛΕΙ
Α ΕΣΤΑΡΧΗ
ΚΡΙΤΗΤΗΛ,
ΤΝΚΙΥΡ
ΡΑΙΤ,ΤΤΙ
ΡΙΘΝΙ
Κ(ύρι)ε β(οή)θ(ει) Βασιλείῳ (πρω)τ(ο)βεστάρχῃ, κριτῇ τοῦ βήλ(ου) (καὶ) τῶν Κιβυρραιωτ(ῶν) τῷ Τζιρίθωνι
Accession number | BZS.1951.31.5.133 |
---|---|
Diameter | 23.0 mm; field: 20.0 mm |
Previous Editions | DO Seals 2, no. 59.7a. |
Translation
Κύριε βοήθει Βασιλείῳ πρωτοβεστάρχῃ, κριτῇ τοῦ βήλου καὶ τῶν Κιβυρραιωτῶν τῷ Τζιρίθωνι.
Lord, help Basil Tzirithon, protovestarches, judge of the Velum and of the Kibyrraiotai.
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)
- Βυζαντιακὰ μολυβδόβουλλα τοῦ ἐν ἈΘήναις Ἐθνικοῦ Νομισματικοῦ Μουσείου (Open in Zotero)
- Sceaux byzantins inédits (Open in Zotero)
- Le Corpus des sceaux de l’empire byzantin (Open in Zotero)
- Karallia, Kibyra Minor, and Mylome/Justinianupolis (Open in Zotero)
- Theophanis Chronographia (Open in Zotero)
- Ioannis Zonarae Epitome Historiarum (Open in Zotero)
- Byzantinische metrologische Quellen (Open in Zotero)
- De Administrando Imperio (Open in Zotero)
- Hierosolymitikē Vivliothēkē, ētoi Katalogos tōn en tais vivliothēkais : tou hagiōtatou apostolikou te kai katholikou orthodoxou patriarchikou thronou tōn Hierosolymōn kai pasēs Palaistinēs apokeimenōn Hellēnikōn Kōdikōn (Open in Zotero)
- Sigillographie de l’Empire byzantin (Open in Zotero)
- Byzantine Lead Seals, Vol. 2 (Open in Zotero)
- Les sceaux byzantins de la Collection Henri Seyrig (Open in Zotero)
- Du stratège de thème au duc: chronologie de l’évolution au cours du XIe siècle (Open in Zotero)
- Byzantinische Rang- und Ämterstruktur im 8. und 9. Jahrhundert: Faktoren und Tendenzen ihrer Entwicklung (Open in Zotero)
- Τὸ ναυτικὸ θέμα τῶν Κιβυρραιωτῶν: Συμβολὴ στὸ πρόβλημα τῆς ἴδρυσής Του (Open in Zotero)
- Cibyrra et Cibyrréotes (Open in Zotero)
Commentary
This is one of three seals from the same boulloterion edited jointly. See the other specimens listed below.
Laurent ("Ἐριθος - Ἀκοζὴρ," Hellenika 9 [1936] 22-23) has republished with corrections a seal engraved on the reverse with the same legend as above; the obverse is decorated, however, with an enthroned Virgin (cf. Konstantopoulos, no. 142a; G. Schlumberger, "Sceaux byzantins inédits," RN 20 [1916] 38, no. 311). For the career of Basil Tzirithon, see Laurent, Corpus II, no. 1032, and PBW : Basileios 214. He seems to have served in the Kibyrraiotai in the late 1070s.