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Stephen Stemnitziotes (?), imperial protospatharios epi tou Chrysotriklinou and epoptes of the theme of the Thrakesioi (tenth/eleventh century)

 
 

Obverse

Inscription of five lines, a floral decoration above. No visible border.


+κεRο
θει..δ
.υλστεφ
α.Rˋαˋσπ
πιτ,χ

Κ(ύρι)ε βο[ή]θει [τ]ῷ [σ]ῷ δ[ο]ύλῳ Στεφά[ν(ῳ)] β(ασιλικῷ) (πρωτο)σπ[α(θαρίῳ) ἐ]πὶ τ(οῦ) Χ[ρ(υσοτρικλίνου) (καὶ)]

Reverse

Inscription of five lines, a floral decoration above. Border of dots.


ποπτη
.εματοσ
νθρακ
.στεμ..
οτ.

[ἐ]πόπτῃ [τ(οῦ) θ]έματος [τ]ῶν Θρᾳκ[η]σ(ίων) [τῷ] Στεμ...οτ

Obverse

Inscription of five lines, a floral decoration above. No visible border.


+κεRο
θει..δ
.υλστεφ
α.Rˋαˋσπ
πιτ,χ

Κ(ύρι)ε βο[ή]θει [τ]ῷ [σ]ῷ δ[ο]ύλῳ Στεφά[ν(ῳ)] β(ασιλικῷ) (πρωτο)σπ[α(θαρίῳ) ἐ]πὶ τ(οῦ) Χ[ρ(υσοτρικλίνου) (καὶ)]

Reverse

Inscription of five lines, a floral decoration above. Border of dots.


ποπτη
.εματοσ
νθρακ
.στεμ..
οτ.

[ἐ]πόπτῃ [τ(οῦ) θ]έματος [τ]ῶν Θρᾳκ[η]σ(ίων) [τῷ] Στεμ...οτ

Accession number BZS.1951.31.5.383
Diameter 24.0 mm
Previous Editions

DO Seals 3, no. 2.10.

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

Translation

Κύριε βοήθει τῷ σῷ δούλῳ Στεφάνῳ βασιλικῷ πρωτοσπαθαρίῳ ἐπὶ τοῦ Χρυσοτρικλίνου καὶ ἐπόπτῃ τοῦ θέματος τῶν Θρᾳκησίων τῷ Στεμ...οτ

Lord, help your servant Stephanos Stemnitziotes (?), imperial protospatharios epi tou Chrysotriklinou and epoptes of the theme of the Thrakesioi.

Commentary

The reading of the family name is difficult. As there is a clear abbreviation sign after θρακησ, on line 3, we may assume that two letters are missing at the beginning of line 4, likely the definite article τῷ. Then comes a very questionable σ, a secure τ, an ε or ο, an μ or ν or κ; on line 5, the top of a round letter can be seen (ο or θ) and the clear top of a τ : Στεμ[νιτζι]ότ[ης]: possible, but by no means certain. See PBW : Stephanos 20186.

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)
  • Constantini Porphyrogeniti De cerimoniis aulae byzantinae (Open in Zotero)
  • Byzantine Praetorians: An Administrative, Institutional, and Social Survey of the Opsikion and Tagmata, c. 580-900 (Open in Zotero)
  • Theophanis Chronographia (Open in Zotero)
  • L’histoire et la géographie de la région de Smyrne entre les deux occupations turques (1081-1317), particulièrement au XIIIe siècle (Open in Zotero)
  • Les listes de préséance byzantines des IXe et Xe siècles (Open in Zotero)
  • “Thrakien” und “Thrakesion” (Open in Zotero)
  • Byzantinische Rang- und Ämterstruktur im 8. und 9. Jahrhundert: Faktoren und Tendenzen ihrer Entwicklung (Open in Zotero)