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Leo Spondyles, spatharokandidatos, imperial notarios, and anagrapheus of Seleukeia (eleventh century)

 
 

Obverse

Inscription of four lines, decorations above and below. Border of dots.

·
ΛΕΝ
ΣΠΘΚΝ
ˊΣΙΛ,
ΝΟΤΡ,
·

Λέων σπαθ(αρο)κανδ(ι)δ(ᾶτος), βασιλ(ικὸς) νοτάρ(ιος)

Reverse

Inscription of five lines, with decoration above. Border of dots.

·
ΚΙΝ,
ΓΡΦΕΥΣ
ΣΕΛΕΥΚ,Ο
ΣΠΟΝΔ,
Λ,

καὶ ἀν(α)γραφεὺς Σελευκ(είας) ὁ Σπονδ(ύ)λ(ης)

Obverse

Inscription of four lines, decorations above and below. Border of dots.

·
ΛΕΝ
ΣΠΘΚΝ
ˊΣΙΛ,
ΝΟΤΡ,
·

Λέων σπαθ(αρο)κανδ(ι)δ(ᾶτος), βασιλ(ικὸς) νοτάρ(ιος)

Reverse

Inscription of five lines, with decoration above. Border of dots.

·
ΚΙΝ,
ΓΡΦΕΥΣ
ΣΕΛΕΥΚ,Ο
ΣΠΟΝΔ,
Λ,

καὶ ἀν(α)γραφεὺς Σελευκ(είας) ὁ Σπονδ(ύ)λ(ης)

Accession number BZS 1958.106.5643
Diameter 29.0 mm; field: 24.0 mm
Previous Editions

DO Seals 5 no. 6.2.

Translation

Λέων σπαθαροκανδιδᾶτος, βασιλικὸς νοτάριος καὶ ἀναγραφεὺς Σελευκείας ὁ Σπονδύλης.

Leo Spondyles, spatharokandidatos, imperial notarios, and anagrapheuus of Seleukeia.

Commentary

After the Arabs took control of Cilicia in the eighth century, the region of Seleukeia was reorganized for the defense of the Byzantine borderlands, becoming an administrative and military kleisoura. It was elevated by Romanos I Lekapenos to the rank of theme, governed by a strategos, between 927 and 934.

Two more seals of an eleventh-century Leo Spondyles are known (Laurent, Corpus 2: nos. 488, 669), who may be identical to this owner. A different seal of the same person, but identified as an imperial notarios "of the eidikos logos," is published by Seibt-Zarnitz, no. 2.2.5.

Bibliography

  • Catalogue of Byzantine Seals at Dumbarton Oaks and in the Fogg Museum of Art, Volume 5: The East (continued), Constantinople and Environs, Unknown Locations, Addenda, Uncertain Readings (Open in Zotero)
  • Le Corpus des sceaux de l’empire byzantin (Open in Zotero)
  • Das byzantinische Bleisiegel als Kunstwerk: Katalog zur Ausstellung (Open in Zotero)