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Theophanes patrikios, imperial protospatharios, genikos logothetes and kommerkiarios of the apotheke of Bithynia, [Phrygia] Salutaris and [Phrygia] Pakatiane (727/728)

 
 

Obverse

Above, busts of two emperors, presumably Leo III (bearded) and Constantinve V (beardless at right), each holding the globus cruciger in his right hand. On either side the indiction year: -ια. Below, an inscription of five lines. No border visible.

θεοφνσπτρι
κιβσιλικπρ
ωτοσπθρι
...ικλογ
.θετ

Θεοφάνους πατρικίου, βασιλικοῦ πρωτοσπαθαρίου, [γεν]ικοῦ λογ[ο]θέτου

Reverse

Inscription of seven lines. No border visible.

.κομ
μερκιρ
ιουποθηκ
ησβιθυνισ
σλουτρ.
σSπκ
τιν

[(καὶ)] κομμερκιαρίου ἀποθήκης βιθυνίας, Σαλουταρ[ί]ας (καὶ) Πακατιαν[ῆς]

Obverse

Above, busts of two emperors, presumably Leo III (bearded) and Constantinve V (beardless at right), each holding the globus cruciger in his right hand. On either side the indiction year: -ια. Below, an inscription of five lines. No border visible.

θεοφνσπτρι
κιβσιλικπρ
ωτοσπθρι
...ικλογ
.θετ

Θεοφάνους πατρικίου, βασιλικοῦ πρωτοσπαθαρίου, [γεν]ικοῦ λογ[ο]θέτου

Reverse

Inscription of seven lines. No border visible.

.κομ
μερκιρ
ιουποθηκ
ησβιθυνισ
σλουτρ.
σSπκ
τιν

[(καὶ)] κομμερκιαρίου ἀποθήκης βιθυνίας, Σαλουταρ[ί]ας (καὶ) Πακατιαν[ῆς]

Accession number BZS.1951.31.5.1887
Diameter 32.0 mm
Previous Editions

DO Seals 3, no. 27.1.

Zacos-Veglery, no. 235. Similar seal, in good condition and probably from the same boulloterion, published by Lihačev, Molivdovuly, 212-13, no. 2 (pl. LXXIII, no. 2).

Translation

Θεοφάνους πατρικίου, βασιλικοῦ πρωτοσπαθαρίου, γενικοῦ λογοθέτου καὶ κομμερκιαρίου ἀποθήκης βιθυνίας, Σαλουταρίας καὶ Πακατιανῆς.

(Seal of) Theophanes patrikios, imperial protospatharios, genikos logothetes and kommerkiarios of the apotheke of Bithynia, Salutaris and Pakatiane.

Commentary

The seal refers to an enormous region covering three Roman provinces: Bithynia and the two Phrygias, Salutaris (capital Synada, part of the Anatolikon theme) and Pakatiane (capital Laodikeia, part of the Thrakesion theme).

The portraits of the emperors and the indiction year guarantee the date of this seal.

Pakatiane is another Roman province that kept its administrative prerogatives well into the eighth century. See also Laurent, Corpus V/1, nos. 728, 729.

Bibliography

  • Catalogue of Byzantine Seals at Dumbarton Oaks and at the Fogg Museum of Art, Vol. 3: West, Northwest, and Central Asia Minor and the Orient (Open in Zotero)
  • Le Corpus des sceaux de l’empire byzantin (Open in Zotero)
  • Molivdovuly grečeskogo Vostoka (Open in Zotero)