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Michael Tornikes, protospatharios and judge of the Hippodrome and of the Anatolikoi (eleventh century)

 
 

Obverse

Bust of a richly clothed saint wearing on top of an elaborate hairstyle an oriental cap. Visible at l.: Ο|Α|ΓΙ|O|Σ: Ὁ ἅγιος .... Border of dots.

Reverse

Inscription of six lines. Border of dots.

+ΜΙΧΑΗ
Α,ΣΠΑΘ,ΚΡ
Τ,ΕΠΙΤ,ΙΠΠ
Δ,ΤΝΑ
Τ,ΤΤΟΡ
ΝΗΚ

Μιχαὴλ πρωτοσπαθαρίῳ  κριτ ἐπὶ τοῦ Ἱπποδρόμου καὶ τῶν Ἀνατολικῶν τῷ Τορνήκ

Obverse

Bust of a richly clothed saint wearing on top of an elaborate hairstyle an oriental cap. Visible at l.: Ο|Α|ΓΙ|O|Σ: Ὁ ἅγιος .... Border of dots.

Reverse

Inscription of six lines. Border of dots.

+ΜΙΧΑΗ
Α,ΣΠΑΘ,ΚΡ
Τ,ΕΠΙΤ,ΙΠΠ
Δ,ΤΝΑ
Τ,ΤΤΟΡ
ΝΗΚ

Μιχαὴλ πρωτοσπαθαρίῳ  κριτ ἐπὶ τοῦ Ἱπποδρόμου καὶ τῶν Ἀνατολικῶν τῷ Τορνήκ

Accession number BZS.1958.106.2426
Diameter 26.0 mm
Previous Editions

DO Seals 3, no. 86.31.

Translation

Μιχαὴλ πρωτοσπαθαρίῳ  κριτῇ ἐπὶ τοῦ Ἱπποδρόμου καὶ τῶν Ἀνατολικῶν τῷ Τορνήκῃ.

Michael Tornikes, protospatharios and judge of the Hippodrome and of the Anatolikoi.

Commentary

The saint represented on the obverse could be St. Zacharias, the prophet Aaron, or St. Daniel. Cf. our comments in DOSeals 2.44.13 (BZS 1955.1.3050). A judge by the name of Tornikes was active at the tribunal of the Hippodrome shortly before 1028. (Peira 49.4). The seal of a Michael Tornikes is published in Corinth XII, no. 2819.

Bibliography

  • Catalogue of Byzantine Seals at Dumbarton Oaks and at the Fogg Museum of Art, Vol. 3: West, Northwest, and Central Asia Minor and the Orient (Open in Zotero)
  • Byzantine Lead Seals, Vol. 1 (Open in Zotero)
  • Documents de sigillographie byzantine: La collection C. Orghidan (Open in Zotero)
  • Sceaux byzantins du Musée National de Varsovie (Open in Zotero)
  • Les listes de préséance byzantines des IXe et Xe siècles (Open in Zotero)
  • Byzantinische Rang- und Ämterstruktur im 8. und 9. Jahrhundert: Faktoren und Tendenzen ihrer Entwicklung (Open in Zotero)