Soterichos Sorineas, tagmatophylax and topoteretes (tenth/eleventh century)
Obverse
Bust of St George, holding a spear in his right hand and a shield in his left. Inscription in two vertical columns: |Γ|Ε|Ρ|ΓΙ: ὁ ἅ(γιος) Γεώργι(ος). Border of dots.
Reverse
Inscription of six lines, a decoration below. Border of dots.
κε,θ,
στιρικ,
τγμτ,φυ
λ̅⸣τοποτι
ριτ,τσο
ρινε
Κ(ύρι)ε β(οή)θ(ει) Σωτιρίκ(ῳ) ταγματ(ο)φύλ(ακι) (καὶ) τοποτιριτ(ῇ) τῷ Σορινέᾳ
Obverse
Bust of St George, holding a spear in his right hand and a shield in his left. Inscription in two vertical columns: |Γ|Ε|Ρ|ΓΙ: ὁ ἅ(γιος) Γεώργι(ος). Border of dots.
Reverse
Inscription of six lines, a decoration below. Border of dots.
κε,θ,
στιρικ,
τγμτ,φυ
λ̅⸣τοποτι
ριτ,τσο
ρινε
Κ(ύρι)ε β(οή)θ(ει) Σωτιρίκ(ῳ) ταγματ(ο)φύλ(ακι) (καὶ) τοποτιριτ(ῇ) τῷ Σορινέᾳ
| Accession number | BZS.1951.31.5.40 |
|---|---|
| Diameter | 1.0 mm |
| Credit Line | Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Bequest of Thomas Whittemore. |
Translation
Κύριε βοήθει Σωτιρίκῳ ταγματοφυλάκῳ καὶ τοποτιριτῇ τῷ Σορινέᾳ.
Lord, help Soterichos Sorineas, tagmatophylax and topoteretes.
Commentary
The combination of two military offices is not unattested; see for example the seal of Euphemios tourmarches and kleisourarches of Taron (BZS.1951.31.5.839). The editors of DOSeals 4 (76.4) note that the combination of offices in Euphemios's case was likely "an ad hoc arrangement invented for the sake of a local chieftain." However, the idiosyncracy of this seal was due more to the fact that Euphemios held the proto-thematic title of kleisourarches at a time when Taron would have possessed a strategos (Listes 355–56 and DOSeals 4, 168 and 170), than to the combination of offices.
What we must determine here is whether Soterichos is a tagmatic or thematic topoteretes. In the former, he would be the second-ranking officer after the domestikos, while in the latter he would be much lower in the hierarchy.