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Herakleios and Herakleios Constantine (ca. 616–ca. 625)

 
 

Obverse

The Mother of God standing, wearing a chiton and maphorion, and holding Christ before her. A cross potent at left and right. No visible border.

Reverse

Bust of the emperor Herakleios at left, and a smaller bust of Herakleios Constantine at right. Each wears a crown and a chlamys. Herakleios is shown with a beard of medium length and Herakleios Constantine is beardless. Herakleios’s hairstyle is unclear. A small cross in the field above. Traces of a circular inscription beginning at left. No visible border.

......RACL...................

[D(omini) n(ostri) He]racl[ius et Hera(clius) Const(antinus) p(er)p(etui) aug(usti)].

Obverse

The Mother of God standing, wearing a chiton and maphorion, and holding Christ before her. A cross potent at left and right. No visible border.

Reverse

Bust of the emperor Herakleios at left, and a smaller bust of Herakleios Constantine at right. Each wears a crown and a chlamys. Herakleios is shown with a beard of medium length and Herakleios Constantine is beardless. Herakleios’s hairstyle is unclear. A small cross in the field above. Traces of a circular inscription beginning at left. No visible border.

......RACL...................

[D(omini) n(ostri) He]racl[ius et Hera(clius) Const(antinus) p(er)p(etui) aug(usti)].

Accession number BZS.1955.1.4257 (formerly DO 55.1.4257)
Diameter 23.0 mm
Previous Editions

DO Seals 6, no. 14.3.

Translation

Domini nostri Heraclius et Heraclius Constantinus perpetui augusti.

Our lords Herakleios and Herakleios Constantine, eternal augusti.

Commentary

On the seals dated ca. 616–ca. 625, Herakleios has a longer beard and Herakleios Constantine’s bust is now somewhat larger than on earlier specimens.  Dating follows the numismatic evidence.

Seibt (Bleisiegel, 69) has employed the following criteria for classifying and dating seals, from ca. 616–ca. 625, with representations of Herakleios and Herakleios Constantine.  (1) ca. 616–ca. 625: the imperial hair style changes, as the ends now curl outward; the Virgin’s right foot supports her weight. (2) ca. 620–25: Herakleios’s beard is longer and thicker.

The cross flanking the Mother of God at right is set higher than the one at left.

Bibliography

  • Catalogue of Byzantine Seals at Dumbarton Oaks and in the Fogg Museum of Art, Vol. 6, Emperors, Patriarchs of Constantinople, Addenda (Open in Zotero)
  • Die byzantinischen Bleisiegel in Österreich, Vol. 1, Kaiserhof (Open in Zotero)