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Niketas protospatharios epi tou Chrysotriklinou and anagrapheus of the Peloponnesos (tenth century)

 
 

Obverse

Inscription of four lines, preceded and followed by an ornament. Border of dots.


ΚΕ
.ΗΘΕΙ
.ΣΔ
ΟΥΛ
 [ ]

Κύριε βοήθει τῷ σῷ δούλῳ

Reverse

Inscription of six lines. Border of dots.

..ΚΗΤ
.ΣΠΑΘ,ΕΠ
.ΧΡΥΣΟΤ
ΚΛΑΝΑ
.ΡΑΦ.ΕΛ
.ΠΟΝΙΣ

Νικήτ (πρωτο)σπαθαρίῳ ἐπ τοῦ Χρυσοτρικλίνου καὶ ἀναγραφεῖ Πελοπονίσου

Obverse

Inscription of four lines, preceded and followed by an ornament. Border of dots.


ΚΕ
.ΗΘΕΙ
.ΣΔ
ΟΥΛ
 [ ]

Κύριε βοήθει τῷ σῷ δούλῳ

Reverse

Inscription of six lines. Border of dots.

..ΚΗΤ
.ΣΠΑΘ,ΕΠ
.ΧΡΥΣΟΤ
ΚΛΑΝΑ
.ΡΑΦ.ΕΛ
.ΠΟΝΙΣ

Νικήτ (πρωτο)σπαθαρίῳ ἐπ τοῦ Χρυσοτρικλίνου καὶ ἀναγραφεῖ Πελοπονίσου

Accession number BZS.1958.106.2245
Diameter 29.0 mm; field: 23.0 mm
Previous Editions

DO Seals 2, no. 22.3.

Translation

Κύριε βοήθει τῷ σῷ δούλῳ Νικήτᾳ πρωτοσπαθαρίῳ ἐπὶ τοῦ Χρυσοτρικλίνου καὶ ἀναγραφεῖ Πελοπονίσου.

Lord, help your servant Niketas protospatharios epi tou Chrysotriklinou and anagrapheus of the Peloponnesos.

Commentary

As on BZS.1958.106.4142, there is an obvious discrepancy in the size of letters of the obverse and of the reverse. In the present case, the obverse, with only four lines, has larger letters to which ornaments were added to fill the space (including an archaic one at the bottom displaying tendrils, as appear on 8th century eals: an obvious archaism). It seems that in the present case, the obverse was supposed to contain only the unchangeable invocation, while the reverse die would have to be replaced every time that the appointment of Niketas changed.

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)
  • La Morée franque: Recherches historiques, topographiques et archéologiques sur la principauté d’Achaïe (1205-1430) (Open in Zotero)
  • Die Skleroi: Eine prosopographisch-sigillographische Studie (Open in Zotero)
  • Theophanis Chronographia (Open in Zotero)
  • Les listes de préséance byzantines des IXe et Xe siècles (Open in Zotero)
  • Realities of Byzantine Provincial Government: Hellas and Peloponnesos, 1180-1205 (Open in Zotero)
  • Die byzantinische Armee im 10. und 11. Jahrhundert: Studien zur Organisation der Tagmata (Open in Zotero)