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Nicholas spatharokandidatos and chrysoteles of Sardeis (eleventh century)

 
 

Obverse

Bust of St. George holding the usual spear and shield. Vertical inscription: |γε||ρ-.|ι|ο|/ : Ὁ ἅ(γιος) Γεώρ[γ]ιο(ς). No border visible.

Reverse

Inscription of five lines, (preceded and?) followed by an ornament. Border of dots.

...
.ικ,λ,σ
.θρ,κˋ
.τελ,τ,
σρˋ
-+-

[Κ(ύρι)ε] β(οή)θ(ει) [Ν]ικ(ο)λά(ῳ) σ[π(α)]θαρ(ο)κ(αν)δ(ι)δ(άτῳ) [(καὶ)] χρ(υσο)τελ(εῖ) τ(ῶν) Σάρδ(εων)

Obverse

Bust of St. George holding the usual spear and shield. Vertical inscription: |γε||ρ-.|ι|ο|/ : Ὁ ἅ(γιος) Γεώρ[γ]ιο(ς). No border visible.

Reverse

Inscription of five lines, (preceded and?) followed by an ornament. Border of dots.

...
.ικ,λ,σ
.θρ,κˋ
.τελ,τ,
σρˋ
-+-

[Κ(ύρι)ε] β(οή)θ(ει) [Ν]ικ(ο)λά(ῳ) σ[π(α)]θαρ(ο)κ(αν)δ(ι)δ(άτῳ) [(καὶ)] χρ(υσο)τελ(εῖ) τ(ῶν) Σάρδ(εων)

Accession number BZS.1958.106.4369
Diameter 23.0 mm
Previous Editions

DO Seals 3, no. 32.1.

Translation

Κύριε βοήθει Νικολάῳ σπαθαροκανδιδάτῳ καὶ χρυσοτελεῖ τῶν Σάρδεων.

Lord, help Nicholas, spatharokandidatos and chrysoteles of Sardeis.

Commentary

Chrysoteles is the name of an official who appears in the late tenth and the eleventh century and is related to the assessment and collection of taxes (or of a specific tax: χρυσοτελῆ εἴσπραξιν) in gold coins. Cf. Life of Nikon, ed. Sullivan, 58, 13 and the notes on p. 295; and Michael Psellos, in Sathas MB V, 259, 276.

Sardeis (modern Sart), was capital of Lydia and seat of a metropolitan, attested since 325. The non-hellenic name appears on seals as well as in the notitiae in two main forms, the classical Σάρδεις, -εων, and the popular Σάρδη, ἦς, or non-declined Σάρδης (whenever in doubt, we have restored the classical form). From the seals we learn that it was also a fiscal center. See Laurent, Corpus V/1, 260-61 (add Zacos, Seals II, nos. 670, 869); Zgusta, 541-42; C. Foss, Byzantine and Turkish Sardis (Cambridge, Mass., 1976); Brandes, Städte, 86-88; ODB III, 1843.

Bibliography