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Herakleios and Herakleios Constantine (ca. 616–ca. 625)

 
 

Obverse

The Mother of God standing, wearing a chiton and maphorion, and holding Christ, who is framed by an oval mandorla, before her. Her left hand is held under Christ’s foot, and her right leg is bent at the knee. A cross potent at left and right. Wreath border.

Reverse

Bust of Herakleios at left, and a smaller bust of Herakleios Constantine at right. Each wears a crown with cross and a chlamys fastened on the right shoulder with a fibula. Herakleios is shown with a beard of medium length and Herakleios Constantine is beardless. Herakleios wears his hair long at the sides and curled. A small cross in the field above. A circular inscription beginning at left. Border of dots.

NNERAC..S....RACONSPA

D(omini) n(ostri) Herac[li]us [et He]ra(clius) Const(antinus) p(erpetui) a(ugusti).

Obverse

The Mother of God standing, wearing a chiton and maphorion, and holding Christ, who is framed by an oval mandorla, before her. Her left hand is held under Christ’s foot, and her right leg is bent at the knee. A cross potent at left and right. Wreath border.

Reverse

Bust of Herakleios at left, and a smaller bust of Herakleios Constantine at right. Each wears a crown with cross and a chlamys fastened on the right shoulder with a fibula. Herakleios is shown with a beard of medium length and Herakleios Constantine is beardless. Herakleios wears his hair long at the sides and curled. A small cross in the field above. A circular inscription beginning at left. Border of dots.

NNERAC..S....RACONSPA

D(omini) n(ostri) Herac[li]us [et He]ra(clius) Const(antinus) p(erpetui) a(ugusti).

Accession number BZS.1958.106.528 (formerly DO 58.106.528)
Diameter 27.0 mm
Previous Editions

DO Seals 6, no. 14.6; Zacos–Veglery, no. 12a (different reading). Illustrated and discussed in Morrisson, “Du consul à l’empereur,” 259, table 1, and 264, no. 5.

Translation

Domini nostri Heraclius et Heraclius Constantinus perpetui augusti.

Our lords Herakleios and Herakleios Constantine, eternal augusti.

Commentary

On the seals dated ca. 616–ca. 625, Herakleios has a longer beard and Herakleios Constantine’s bust is now somewhat larger than on earlier specimens.  Dating follows the numismatic evidence.

Seibt (Bleisiegel, 69) has employed the following criteria for classifying and dating seals, from ca. 616–ca. 625, with representations of Herakleios and Herakleios Constantine.  (1) ca. 616–ca. 625: the imperial hair style changes, as the ends now curl outward; the Virgin’s right foot supports her weight. (2) ca. 620–25: Herakleios’s beard is longer and thicker.

Bibliography

  • Catalogue of Byzantine Seals at Dumbarton Oaks and in the Fogg Museum of Art, Vol. 6, Emperors, Patriarchs of Constantinople, Addenda (Open in Zotero)
  • Byzantine Lead Seals, Vol. 1 (Open in Zotero)
  • Du consul à l’empereur: les sceaux d’Héraclius (Open in Zotero)
  • Die byzantinischen Bleisiegel in Österreich, Vol. 1, Kaiserhof (Open in Zotero)