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Nicholas Chrysoberges, protokensor and megas oikonomos of the Western episkepsis (eleventh century)

 
 

Obverse

Inscription in six lines with final four letters between two horizontal bars. Border of dots.

ΚΕ̅ο
ηθειτ
σδουλ
νικολα
προτ,κεν
σρι

Κ(ύρι)ε βοήθει τῷ σῷ δούλῳ Νικόλαῳ προτ(ο)κένσωρι

Reverse

Inscription in six lines with the first line flanked on each side by a pellet. Border of dots.

·οι·
κονομ
τνδυσικ,
επισκεψε
ντχρυ
σοεργ,

(καὶ) μ(ε)γ(άλῳ) οἰκονόμῳ τῶν δυσικ(ῶν) ἐπισκέψεων τῷ Χρυσοβέργ(ῃ)

Obverse

Inscription in six lines with final four letters between two horizontal bars. Border of dots.

ΚΕ̅ο
ηθειτ
σδουλ
νικολα
προτ,κεν
σρι

Κ(ύρι)ε βοήθει τῷ σῷ δούλῳ Νικόλαῳ προτ(ο)κένσωρι

Reverse

Inscription in six lines with the first line flanked on each side by a pellet. Border of dots.

·οι·
κονομ
τνδυσικ,
επισκεψε
ντχρυ
σοεργ,

(καὶ) μ(ε)γ(άλῳ) οἰκονόμῳ τῶν δυσικ(ῶν) ἐπισκέψεων τῷ Χρυσοβέργ(ῃ)

Accession number BZS.1958.106.1366
Diameter 28.0 mm; field: 22.0 mm
Previous Editions

DO Seals 1, no. 1.30a.

Translation

Κύριε βοήθει τῷ σῷ δούλῳ Νικόλαῳ πρωτοκένσωρι καὶ μεγάλῳ οἰκονόμῳ τῶν δυσικῶν ἐπισκέψεων τῷ Χρυσοβέργῃ.

Lord, help your servant Nicholas Chrysoberges protokensor and megas oikonomos of the Western episkepseis.

Commentary

The western episkepseis are hard to locate. An episkepsis was a domain (administered by an episkeptites) whose revenue went to a public service (e.g. to the dromos or the agelai: Listes, 312, 338) or to a public enterprise (such as the euageis oikoi or the kouratoreiai (Oikonomides, Evolution, 138). In the chrysobull of 1198 in favor of the Venetians, as well as in the Partitio Romaniae (1204), we find a large number of episkepseis scattered throughout the empire, mostly in its European part: Nikopolis, Arta, the region of Mesolongi, the western Peloponnese, Lakedaimonia, Attica, Thessaly, eastern Macedonia, and Thrace. One has to assume that the owner of this seal had the supervision of all (?) the western episkepseis in the same way as the oikonomos ton euagon oikon had the supervision of all the pious foundations (Oikonomides, Evolution, 139-140).

The function of kensor was juridical in character (Listes, 325; cf. Zacos II, nos. 580, 633, 1019), but is found joined with a financial office on the eleventh-twelfth century seal of Niketas Matzoukes, kensor, judge of the Velum, and οἰκονόμος τῶν εὐαγῶν οἴκων published in Sig., 461. This seal contains the first appearance of the title protokensor.

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)