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John hypatos (or spatharios) and protonotarios of the Anatolikoi (ninth century)

 
 

Obverse

Cruciform invocative monogram (type V). In the quarters: ..ΣΩ|.ΛΩ. Wreath border.

Θεοτόκε βοήθει τῷ σῷ δούλῳ

Reverse

Inscription of four lines. Wreath border.

..Ν
.Π /
ΟΤΡ.
..Τ

Ἰωάννῃ ὑπάτῳ (?) καὶ πρωτονοταρίῳ τῶν Ἀνατολικῶν

Obverse

Cruciform invocative monogram (type V). In the quarters: ..ΣΩ|.ΛΩ. Wreath border.

Θεοτόκε βοήθει τῷ σῷ δούλῳ

Reverse

Inscription of four lines. Wreath border.

..Ν
.Π /
ΟΤΡ.
..Τ

Ἰωάννῃ ὑπάτῳ (?) καὶ πρωτονοταρίῳ τῶν Ἀνατολικῶν

Accession number BZS.1951.31.5.3134
Diameter 14.0 mm
Previous Editions

DO Seals 3, no. 86.39.

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

Translation

Θεοτόκε βοήθει τῷ σῷ δούλῳ Ἰωάννῃ ὑπάτῳ καὶ πρωτονοταρίῳ τῶν Ἀνατολικῶν.

Theotokos, help your servant John, hypatos and protonotarios of the Anatolikoi.

Commentary

We must emphasize that the remains of the two letters at the last line are clearly visible on the seal itself, especially the horizontal dash of the Τ preceded by a pointed top of a letter that could only be an Α. Although the restoration we propose may appear daring, it seems to us quite probable because the name of only one theme of the ninth century has a Τ in the middle: Anatolikon.

We see no difficulty with the restoration of the first name or of the office of protonotarios but we have to stress that his honorific title could as well have been σπαθάριος.

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)