Sergios imperial spatharokandidatos and kommerkiarios of Cherson (ninth/tenth century)
Obverse
Bust of the Virgin holding medallion of Christ on her breast. No sigla. Circular inscription along border of dots.
θκεοηθ,τσδουλ
Θ(εοτό)κε βοήθ(ει) τῷ σῷ δούλῳ
Reverse
Inscription of five lines preceded and followed by row of pellets. Border of dots.
···
σεργι
,σπθρ
οκνδιδ,
κμερκ,
χερσον
··
Σεργίῳ β(ασιλικῷ) σπαθαροκανδιδ(άτῳ) (καὶ) κωμερκ(ιαρίῳ) Χερσόν(ος)
Obverse
Bust of the Virgin holding medallion of Christ on her breast. No sigla. Circular inscription along border of dots.
θκεοηθ,τσδουλ
Θ(εοτό)κε βοήθ(ει) τῷ σῷ δούλῳ
Reverse
Inscription of five lines preceded and followed by row of pellets. Border of dots.
···
σεργι
,σπθρ
οκνδιδ,
κμερκ,
χερσον
··
Σεργίῳ β(ασιλικῷ) σπαθαροκανδιδ(άτῳ) (καὶ) κωμερκ(ιαρίῳ) Χερσόν(ος)
| Accession number | BZS.1955.1.2835 |
|---|---|
| Diameter | 22.0 mm |
| Previous Editions | DO Seals 1, no. 82.6. |
Translation
Θεοτόκε βοήθει τῷ σῷ δούλῳ Σεργίῳ βασιλικῷ σπαθαροκανδιδάτῳ καὶ κωμερκιαρίῳ Χερσόνος.
Theotokos, help your servant Sergios imperial spatharokandidatos and kommerkiarios of Cherson.
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)
- Pečati Hersonskoj Femy (Open in Zotero)
- Monety i pečati vizantijskogo Hersona (Open in Zotero)
- Byzantine Lead Seals, Vol. 2 (Open in Zotero)
- Byzantine Lead Seals, Vol. 1 (Open in Zotero)
- De Administrando Imperio (Open in Zotero)
- Nicephori archiepiscopi Constantinopolitani Opuscula historica (Open in Zotero)
- Ioannis Scylitzae Synopsis historiarum (Open in Zotero)
- Archaeology and the History of Cherson (Open in Zotero)
- L’administration byzantine de Cherson: catalogue des sceaux (Open in Zotero)
- Svincovye pečati vizantijskogo Hersona (Open in Zotero)
- Sigillographie de l’Empire byzantin (Open in Zotero)
- Documents de sigillographie byzantine: La collection C. Orghidan (Open in Zotero)
- Sceaux byzantins inédits (Open in Zotero)
- Byzantinische Rang- und Ämterstruktur im 8. und 9. Jahrhundert: Faktoren und Tendenzen ihrer Entwicklung (Open in Zotero)
Commentary
This seal and BZS 1947.2.62 (DO Seals 1, no. 82.5), although probably from different boulloteria (no pellets are visible on the other seal), are so similar that we believe they must have belonged to the same person. Alekseyenko treats them as parallels. Seals of the same type that belonged to Sergios kommerkiarios of Cherson when he was kandidatos and spatharios (before becoming spatharokandidatos?) have been published several times. See Sokolova, Monety, nos. 21-22.