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Artavasdos strategos of the Anatolikoi (ninth century)

 
 

Obverse

Cruciform invocative monogram (type V). In the quarters: ...|.Λ. No border visible.

Θεοτόκε βοήθει τσῷ δούλῳ

Reverse

Inscription. No border visible.

ρτ.
δοστρ
τνν
ολικ

ρταυάσδο στρατηγῷ τῶν Ἀνατολικῶν

Obverse

Cruciform invocative monogram (type V). In the quarters: ...|.Λ. No border visible.

Θεοτόκε βοήθει τσῷ δούλῳ

Reverse

Inscription. No border visible.

ρτ.
δοστρ
τνν
ολικ

ρταυάσδο στρατηγῷ τῶν Ἀνατολικῶν

Accession number BZS.1951.31.5.2408
Diameter 19.0 mm

Translation

Θεοτόκε βοήθει τῷ σῷ δούλῳ Ἀρταυάσδο στρατηγῷ τῶν Ἀνατολικῶν.

Mother of God, help your servant Artavasdos, strategos of the Anatolikoi.

Commentary

This seal and BZS.1958.106.3020 come from different boulloteria, but they seem to have a similar model. The epigraphy of both specimens is too typical of the ninth century for us to accept the identification of the owner with Artavasdos the Armenian, strategos of the Anatolikoi, mentioned in 777/778 (Theophanes, 451) as proposed by Zacos-Veglery.

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)
  • Byzantine Lead Seals, Vol. 1 (Open in Zotero)
  • Documents de sigillographie byzantine: La collection C. Orghidan (Open in Zotero)
  • Sceaux byzantins du Musée National de Varsovie (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)