Gerbasios (?) Doukas protospatharios (?) and chartoularios (?) of (Chaldia and?) Derzene (eleventh century)
Obverse
Bust of the Mother of God holding the medallion of Christ before her. Sigla: ̅ : Μή(τη)ρ [Θ(εο)ῦ]. No visible border.
Reverse
Inscription of five lines. No visible border.
,θ,
ασ,α
αρτ.
δερζ
κα
[Κ(ύρι)ε] β(οή)θ(ει) [Γερβ]ασ(ίῳ) (?) (πρωτο)[σπ(αθαρίῳ) (?) (καὶ) χ]αρτ(ουλαρίῳ) [Χαλδ(ίας) (καὶ)] Δερζ(ηνῆς) [τῷ Δ]ούκᾳ
Obverse
Bust of the Mother of God holding the medallion of Christ before her. Sigla: ̅ : Μή(τη)ρ [Θ(εο)ῦ]. No visible border.
Reverse
Inscription of five lines. No visible border.
,θ,
ασ,α
αρτ.
δερζ
κα
[Κ(ύρι)ε] β(οή)θ(ει) [Γερβ]ασ(ίῳ) (?) (πρωτο)[σπ(αθαρίῳ) (?) (καὶ) χ]αρτ(ουλαρίῳ) [Χαλδ(ίας) (καὶ)] Δερζ(ηνῆς) [τῷ Δ]ούκᾳ
| Accession number | BZS.1951.31.5.3159 |
|---|---|
| Diameter | 19.0 mm |
| Previous Editions | DO Seals 4, no. 61.2. |
Translation
Κύριε βοήθει Γερβασίῳ πρωτοσπαθαρίῳ καὶ χαρτουλαρίῳ Χαλδίας καὶ Δερζηνῆς τῷ Δούκᾳ.
Lord, help Gerbasios Doukas, protospatharios and chartoularios of Chaldia and Derzene.
Bibliography
- Catalogue of Byzantine Seals at Dumbarton Oaks and in the Fogg Museum of Art, Vol. 4: The East (Open in Zotero)
- De Administrando Imperio (Open in Zotero)
- Les listes de préséance byzantines des IXe et Xe siècles (Open in Zotero)
- Istoriceskoe znacenie italo-greceskoj ikonopisi: Izobra zenija Bogomatera v prozvedenijah italo-greceskih ikonopiscev i ih vlijanie na kompozicii nekotoryh proslavlennyh russkih ikon (Open in Zotero)
Commentary
The restoration of the inscription is highly conjectural. There is no mention of the owner of this seal in Polemis, Doukai. The modern Tercan, Derzene was on the road from Erzincan to Erzerum. The creation of this theme is attested by 948-952 (De Adm. Imp. ch. 53, l. 507; see also Commentary, 209). Cf. Listes, 241 and n. 12, 358. Our seals show that the civil administration of Derzene was often given to officials who exercised a mandate in nearby Chaldia. See also Lihacev, IZIGI, pl. VI, 14.