Theodore metropolitan of Patras (twelfth century)
Obverse
The Virgin standing, holding the medallion. To her right, St. Andrew standing, holding a staff cross. On either side of the Virgin, the inscription: ̅ΘΥ̅ : Μήτηρ Θεοῦ. Along the right margin: |ΑΝ|ΔΡ|ΕΑ|Σ: ὁ ἅγιος Ἀνδρέας. Border of dots.
Reverse
Inscription of four lines, decorations above and below. Border of dots.
ΣΦΡΆΓΙΣ
ΜΑΠΑΤΡ̄
ΟΕΔΡΘΕ
ΟΔΩΡΟΥ
Σφράγισμα Πατρῶν προέδρου Θεοδώρου
Obverse
The Virgin standing, holding the medallion. To her right, St. Andrew standing, holding a staff cross. On either side of the Virgin, the inscription: ̅ΘΥ̅ : Μήτηρ Θεοῦ. Along the right margin: |ΑΝ|ΔΡ|ΕΑ|Σ: ὁ ἅγιος Ἀνδρέας. Border of dots.
Reverse
Inscription of four lines, decorations above and below. Border of dots.
ΣΦΡΆΓΙΣ
ΜΑΠΑΤΡ̄
ΟΕΔΡΘΕ
ΟΔΩΡΟΥ
Σφράγισμα Πατρῶν προέδρου Θεοδώρου
| Accession number | BZS.1955.1.5035 |
|---|---|
| Diameter | 30.0 mm; field: 22.0 mm |
| Previous Editions | DO Seals 2, no. 34.6. |
Translation
Σφράγισμα Πατρῶν προέδρου Θεοδώρου.
Seal of Theodore, metropolitan of Patras.
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)
- Le Corpus des sceaux de l’empire byzantin (Open in Zotero)
- Byzantine Lead Seals, Vol. 2 (Open in Zotero)
- Sfragistika (Open in Zotero)
- Notitiae Episcopatuum Ecclesiae Constantinopolitanae (Open in Zotero)
- Corinth, Vol. 12, The Minor Objects (Open in Zotero)
- Hierarchia Ecclesiastica Orientalis: Series episcoporum ecclesiarum christianarum orientalium (Open in Zotero)
- La Morée franque: Recherches historiques, topographiques et archéologiques sur la principauté d’Achaïe (1205-1430) (Open in Zotero)
Commentary
Dodecasyllabic verse. Inscription has two accents, one of which is on the letters ΩΝ of line 2, written in ligature. Laurent is undoubtedly correct that this specimen can be reasonably attributed to Theodore of Patras, attested in 1166/67 and 1172.
Today Patras, the city of St. Andrew. The see of Patras was functioning by the 4th century; it is mentioned as an archbishopric in the iconoclastic notitia and perhaps in the council of 787 (Darrouzès, Notitiae, 23, note 1 and no. 3, line 55). Sometime between 802 and 806 it was raised to the rank of a metropolis by being attributed three suffragans: Lakedaimonia, Methone and Korone. All this information concerning the foundation of the metropolis and its right to collect taxes from the neighboring Slavic populations is related to a miraculous intervention of St. Andrew to save the city from Slav rebels. In the 10th century, an archon exercised authority in Patras (Corinth XII, no. 2705). See Laurent, in REB 21 (1963) 129-36; Laurent, Corpus V/1, 471; Fedalto, 517-19; ODB II, 1597-98; Bon, Morée francque, 449-57.