Skip to Content

Pardos imperial spatharokandidatos and anagrapheus of the West (tenth/eleventh century)

 
 

Obverse

Patriarchal cross on three (?) steps. Circular inscription within a border of dots.

κεοηθητσδο

Κ(ύριε) βοήθη τῷ σῷ δο[ύ]λ(ῳ)

Reverse

Inscription of five lines. Border of dots.

παρ
ασπα
θκανδ
απαγραφ
δυσε

Πάραῳ β(ασιλικῷ) σπαθ(αρο)κανδ(ιδάτῳ) (καὶ) ἀπαγραφ(εῖ) Δύσεω(ς)

Obverse

Patriarchal cross on three (?) steps. Circular inscription within a border of dots.

κεοηθητσδο

Κ(ύριε) βοήθη τῷ σῷ δο[ύ]λ(ῳ)

Reverse

Inscription of five lines. Border of dots.

παρ
ασπα
θκανδ
απαγραφ
δυσε

Πάραῳ β(ασιλικῷ) σπαθ(αρο)κανδ(ιδάτῳ) (καὶ) ἀπαγραφ(εῖ) Δύσεω(ς)

Accession number BZS 1955.1.1604
Diameter 21.0 mm; field: 15.0 mm
Previous Editions

DO Seals 1, no. 1.2.

Translation

Κύριε βοήθη τῷ σῷ δούλῳ Πάρδῳ βασιλικῷ σπαθαροκανδιδάτῳ καὶ ἀπαγραφεῖ Δύσεως.

Lord, help your servant Pardos imperial spatharokandidatos and anagrapheus of the West.

Commentary

Instead of the letter Δ, the engraver has mistakenly incised an Α at the beginning of line 2 (reverse): the name should certainly be read as Πάρδῳ. The title ΑΠΑΓΡΑΦ' (line 4) is clearly imprinted; theoretically it could be corrected to ἀναγραφ(εῖ) or to (ἀπογραφ(εῖ), but as the form ἀναγραφεύς is the only one officially attested in this period, it must be preferred. One may assume that a more popular type, ἀπογραφεύς, also existed and induced the engraver to error.

Bibliography

  • Catalogue of the Byzantine Seals at Dumbarton Oaks and at the Fogg Museum of Art, Vol. 1: Italy, North of the Balkans, North of the Black Sea (Open in Zotero)