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Paul judge of the Aegean fleet (eleventh century)

 
 

Obverse

Bust of St. Panteleimon, beardless. Faint vertical inscription: Ο|Α|Γ.|ΟΣΠ|ΑΝ|ΤΕ|Λ, :  Ὁ ἅγιος Παντελεήμων. Border of dots.

Reverse

Inscription of five lines between two ornaments. Border of dots.


ΠΑΥΛ
ΣΦΡΑΓΙΣ
ΚΡΙΝΟΝΤ,
ΑΙΓΑΙΟΝ
ΠΛΟΟΝ


Πάυλου σφραγὶς κρίνοντος Αἰγαῖον πλόον

Obverse

Bust of St. Panteleimon, beardless. Faint vertical inscription: Ο|Α|Γ.|ΟΣΠ|ΑΝ|ΤΕ|Λ, :  Ὁ ἅγιος Παντελεήμων. Border of dots.

Reverse

Inscription of five lines between two ornaments. Border of dots.


ΠΑΥΛ
ΣΦΡΑΓΙΣ
ΚΡΙΝΟΝΤ,
ΑΙΓΑΙΟΝ
ΠΛΟΟΝ


Πάυλου σφραγὶς κρίνοντος Αἰγαῖον πλόον

Accession number BZS.1955.1.3698
Diameter 33.0 mm; field: 23.0 mm
Previous Editions

DO Seals 2, no. 40.19a.
Cf. SBS 3 (1993) 205, and Wassiliou-Seibt, Siegel mit metrischen Legenden II, no. 1781.

Translation

Πάυλου σφραγὶς κρίνοντος Αἰγαῖον πλόον.

The seal of Paul who acts as judge for the Aegaean fleet.

Commentary

A correct twelve-syllable verse. This poetic inscription is of interest for showing that in the eleventh century the Aigaion was still perceived as a maritime province supplying seamen for the fleet.

Bibliography

  • Catalogue of the Byzantine Seals at Dumbarton Oaks and at the Fogg Museum of Art, Vol. 2: South of the Balkans, the Islands, South of Asia Minor (Open in Zotero)
  • Methodii Patriarchae Constantinopolitani Vita S. Theophanis Confessoris: e codice mosquensi no. 159 (Open in Zotero)
  • Byzantine Lead Seals, Vol. 1 (Open in Zotero)
  • Les listes de préséance byzantines des IXe et Xe siècles (Open in Zotero)
  • Byzantinische Rang- und Ämterstruktur im 8. und 9. Jahrhundert: Faktoren und Tendenzen ihrer Entwicklung (Open in Zotero)
  • Corpus der byzantinischen Siegel mit metrischen Legenden, Vol. 2, Siegellegenden von Ny bis inklusive Sphragis (Open in Zotero)