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Michael Spanopolos, vestes and judge of Aigaion (eleventh/twelfth century)

 
 

Obverse

Bust of the Virgin orans with medallion. Sigla: ̅ΘΥ̅ : Μή(τη)ρ Θ(εο)ῦ. Between two borders of dots, a circular inscription starting at the top.

ΘΚΕΟΗΘΕΙΜΙΧΑΗΛΕΣΤΗΚΑΙ

Θ(εοτό)κε βοήθει Μιχαὴλ βέστῃ καὶ

Reverse

Bust of St. Michael holding the trilobe sceptre. Vertical inscription: Μ|ΙΧ|Α : Μιχα(ήλ). Note the traces of other letters in the field. Between two borders of dots, a circular inscription starting at the top.

ΚΡΙΤΗΤΑΙΓΑΙΤΣΠΑΝΟΠΛ

κριτῇ τοῦ Αἰγαίου τῷ Σπανοπώλῳ

Obverse

Bust of the Virgin orans with medallion. Sigla: ̅ΘΥ̅ : Μή(τη)ρ Θ(εο)ῦ. Between two borders of dots, a circular inscription starting at the top.

ΘΚΕΟΗΘΕΙΜΙΧΑΗΛΕΣΤΗΚΑΙ

Θ(εοτό)κε βοήθει Μιχαὴλ βέστῃ καὶ

Reverse

Bust of St. Michael holding the trilobe sceptre. Vertical inscription: Μ|ΙΧ|Α : Μιχα(ήλ). Note the traces of other letters in the field. Between two borders of dots, a circular inscription starting at the top.

ΚΡΙΤΗΤΑΙΓΑΙΤΣΠΑΝΟΠΛ

κριτῇ τοῦ Αἰγαίου τῷ Σπανοπώλῳ

Accession number BZS.1958.106.3299
Diameter 29.0 mm; field: 24.0 mm
Previous Editions

DO Seals 2, no. 40.16. Referred to in Seibt, Bleisiegel, 285.

Translation

Θεοτόκε βοήθει Μιχαὴλ βέστῃ καὶ κριτῇ τοῦ Αἰγαίου τῷ Σπανοπώλῳ.

Mother of God, help Michael Spanopolos vestes and judge of Aigaion.

Commentary

A Michael Spanopoulos acted as assistant to Euthymios, the praitor and anagrapheus of Boleron, Strymon, and Thessalonica (ca. 1095); Actes de Zographou, ed. W. Regel, E. Kurtz, B. Korablev, VizVrem 13 (1907) Priloženie, no. 35, line 97, cf. Actes d'Esphigménou, ed. J. Lefort (Paris, 1973) no. 5. He could be identical to the owner of our seal. A Spanopolos (no first name mentioned, but perhaps the same man) acted as logariastes of the sebastokrator Isaac Komnenos in the same region (ca. 1090-94): Actes d'Iviron II, ed. J. Lefort, N. Oikonomides, D. Papachryssanthou, V. Kravari, H. Métréveli (Paris, 1990), no. 45, lines 5, 82; no. 50, lines 2, 68. Seibt (Bleisiegel, no. 150) also mentions the advanced eleventh-century seals of Michael Spanopoulos, without title, and the unpublished late eleventh-century seal of a Michael Spanopoulos proedros (Hermitage Collection). See PBW : Michael 270.

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)
  • Die byzantinischen Bleisiegel in Österreich, Vol. 1, Kaiserhof (Open in Zotero)
  • Actes d’Esphigménou (Open in Zotero)
  • Actes d’Iviron (Open in Zotero)
  • Methodii Patriarchae Constantinopolitani Vita S. Theophanis Confessoris: e codice mosquensi no. 159 (Open in Zotero)
  • Byzantine Lead Seals, Vol. 1 (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)