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Xene Komnene, nun (ca. 1060)

 
 

Obverse

Bust of the Virgin orans, with medallion of Christ before her. Traces of sigla: ΡΘ: Μήτηρ Θεο. No border visible.

Reverse

Inscription in five lines. No border visible.

ΘΚΕ
ΟΗΘΕΙ
ΞΕΝΗΤΗ
ΚΟΜΝΗ
·ΝΗ·

Θεοτόκε βοήθει Ξένῃ μοναχ τῇ Κομνηνῇ

Obverse

Bust of the Virgin orans, with medallion of Christ before her. Traces of sigla: ΡΘ: Μήτηρ Θεο. No border visible.

Reverse

Inscription in five lines. No border visible.

ΘΚΕ
ΟΗΘΕΙ
ΞΕΝΗΤΗ
ΚΟΜΝΗ
·ΝΗ·

Θεοτόκε βοήθει Ξένῃ μοναχ τῇ Κομνηνῇ

Accession number BZS.1955.1.5083
Diameter 21.0 mm
Previous Editions

Cf. Laurent, Corpus V/2, no. 1475.

Translation

Θεοτόκε βοήθει Ξένῃ μοναχῇ τῇ Κομνηνῇ.

Theotokos, help Xene Komnene, nun.

Commentary

The owner of this seal will have been Aikaterina, the wife of the emperor Isaac Komnenos (1057-1059), who entered a convent upon her husband's abdication and took the name Xene; see Skylitzes cont. 110.

Bibliography