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Theodore (?), patrikios, imperial protospatharios and strategos of Sicily (eighth century)

 
 

Obverse

Cruciform invocative monogram (of indeterminate type); in the quarters: Τ|Δ. Wreath border.

Κύριε or Θεοτόκε βοήθει τῷ σῷ δούλῳ

Reverse

Inscription. No visible border.

..Δ
.ΠΤ/Β/.
.Π̅̅ΣΤ.
ΣΙΚΕ

Θεοδώρ (?) πατρικίῳ, βασιλικῷ πρωτοσπαθαρίῳ καὶ στρατηγῷ Σικελίας

Obverse

Cruciform invocative monogram (of indeterminate type); in the quarters: Τ|Δ. Wreath border.

Κύριε or Θεοτόκε βοήθει τῷ σῷ δούλῳ

Reverse

Inscription. No visible border.

..Δ
.ΠΤ/Β/.
.Π̅̅ΣΤ.
ΣΙΚΕ

Θεοδώρ (?) πατρικίῳ, βασιλικῷ πρωτοσπαθαρίῳ καὶ στρατηγῷ Σικελίας

Accession number BZS.1958.106.3616
Diameter 25.0 mm
Previous Editions

DO Seals 1, no. 5.32.

Translation

Κύριε or Θεοτόκε βοήθει τῷ σῷ δούλῳ Θεοδώρῳ πατρικίῳ, βασιλικῷ πρωτοσπαθαρίῳ καὶ στρατηγῷ Σικελίας.

Lord or Theotokos, help your servant Theodore patrikios, imperial protospatharios, and strategos of Sicily.

Commentary

The previous edition of this seal offered no Christian name for the owner, but there is an omega clearly visible after the delta. Hence Theodore is the most likely restoration.

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)
  • Byzantine Lead Seals, Vol. 1 (Open in Zotero)
  • L’amministrazione del tema de Sicilia (Open in Zotero)
  • Storia della Sicilia, Vol. 3, La Sicilia fra Roma e Bisanzio (Open in Zotero)
  • La Sicile byzantine: État de recherches (Open in Zotero)
  • Une liste arabe des stratèges du thème de Sicile (Open in Zotero)
  • Une source peu étudiée de l’histoire de la Sicile au haut Moyen-Age: La sigillographie byzantine (Open in Zotero)
  • Byzantinische Rang- und Ämterstruktur im 8. und 9. Jahrhundert: Faktoren und Tendenzen ihrer Entwicklung (Open in Zotero)
  • Theophanes Continuatus, Ioannes Cameniata, Symeon Magister, Georgius Monachus (Open in Zotero)