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John monk, hegoumenos of St. Sergios, and synkellos (829–837)

 
 

Obverse

Cruciform invocative monogram (type VIII); in the quarters: τσ|δλ: τῷ σῷ δούλῳ. Wreath border.

Reverse

Inscription of five lines. No visible border.

ιαν
νημοναχ
ηγμταγ/
σεργSσυγ
κελλ

Ἰωάννῃ μοναχῷ ἡγουμ(ένῳ) τοῦ ἁγ(ίου) Σεργ(ίου) (καὶ) συγκέλλῳ

Obverse

Cruciform invocative monogram (type VIII); in the quarters: τσ|δλ: τῷ σῷ δούλῳ. Wreath border.

Reverse

Inscription of five lines. No visible border.

ιαν
νημοναχ
ηγμταγ/
σεργSσυγ
κελλ

Ἰωάννῃ μοναχῷ ἡγουμ(ένῳ) τοῦ ἁγ(ίου) Σεργ(ίου) (καὶ) συγκέλλῳ

Accession number BZS.1958.106.5744
Diameter 31.0 mm
Previous Editions

DO Seals 5 no. 58.1; Laurent, Corpus 5.3: no. 1917. A parallel specimen is published in Zacos–Veglery, no. 2031. See also Dated Seals, no. 47.

Translation

Κύριε βοήθει τῷ σῷ δούλῳ Ἰωάννῃ μοναχῷ ἡγουμένῳ τοῦ ἁγίου Σεργίου καὶ συγκέλλῳ.

Lord, help your servant John monk, hegoumenos of St. Sergios and synkellos.

Commentary

The specimen quite likely belonged to John Morocharzanios Grammatikos, a supporter of iconoclasm, who was appointed at a somewhat advanced age as hegoumenos of the μονὴ τῶν καλλινίκων μαρτύρων Σεργίου καὶ Βάκχου (Skylitzes, 84.93–85.95). He became patriarch of Constantinople in 837.

The full name of the monastery of St. Sergios was Sts. Sergios and Bacchos (ἐν τοῖς Ὁρμίσδου). The phrase ἐν τοῖς Ὁρμίσδου refers to the palace of Hormisdas, an imperial complex named after a Persian prince. According to the Patria (231 and 279) Justinian, while living at the palace, founded a church of Sts. Sergios and Bacchos before becoming emperor. He may well have added a monastery since an abbot of the μονὴ τῶν Ὁρμίσδου was present at the council of 536 (Janin, Églises, 451). A hegoumenos τῶν Ὁρμίσδου, Gregory, attended the second council of Nicaea in 787.

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)
  • Byzantine Lead Seals, Vol. 1 (Open in Zotero)
  • A Collection of Dated Byzantine Lead Seals (Open in Zotero)
  • Scriptores originum constantinopolitarum (Open in Zotero)
  • La géographie ecclésiastique de l’empire byzantin, Vol. 1, Le siège de Constantinople et le patriarcat oecuménique, Pt. 3, Les églises et les monastères (Open in Zotero)
  • Ioannis Scylitzae Synopsis historiarum (Open in Zotero)