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Author Topic: Large Byzantine Seal - John Dioiketes?  (Read 857 times)

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Offline pogh_poor

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Large Byzantine Seal - John Dioiketes?
« on: September 07, 2019, 07:42:49 am »
I acquired a new addition to my  collection of Byzantine seal with the name John.  It is quite large and weighs 28.98 mm 18.02 g.  On the obverse is a cruciform invocative monogram ΘΕΟΤΟΚΕ ΒΟΗΘΕΙ ΤΩ CΩ ΔΟΥΛΩ Mother of God, help your servant.  On the reverse, there is
 :Greek_Iota:  :Greek_omega_small: :A3:  :Greek_Nu:
 :Greek_Nu:  :Greek_Eta:  :Greek_Delta:  :Greek_Iota:  :Greek_Omicron:
 :Greek_Kappa: (damage)  :Greek_Tau: :Greek_Eta:
Cross.  

I believe that the reverse reads John Dioketes - dioketes a type of tax collector,  Am I right?  Pogh_poor
All passes, Art alone Enduring stays to us; The Bust out-lasts the throne,-- The coin, Tiberius.

Offline Gert

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Re: Large Byzantine Seal - John Dioketes?
« Reply #1 on: September 09, 2019, 03:19:37 am »
Yes, you are correct. But the office is 'dioiketes' with an extra i after O. I think it is also on the seal, but you can't read it because of the off centre strike. A dioiketes was indeed a fiscal official. Usually, a provincial area of authority is mentioned on seals (like 'dioiketes of Sicily' for example), but as your seal show, these officials did always feel the need to specify their office further.
Regards
Gert

Offline pogh_poor

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Re: Large Byzantine Seal - John Dioiketes?
« Reply #2 on: September 09, 2019, 09:45:09 am »
Thank you Gert for your confirmation of my identification of this nice seal.  Do you think that it dates to the 8th-9th Century?  Pogh_poor
All passes, Art alone Enduring stays to us; The Bust out-lasts the throne,-- The coin, Tiberius.

Offline Gert

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Re: Large Byzantine Seal - John Dioiketes?
« Reply #3 on: September 10, 2019, 03:09:19 am »
Yes, these invocational monograms with legend in the corners start to appear in the 8th century, and stay in fashion during the 9th century. In the 10th/11th century they become rarer. From the lettering we can conclude this is an early example, 8th/early 9th century.
Regards
Gert

Offline pogh_poor

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Re: Large Byzantine Seal - John Dioiketes?
« Reply #4 on: September 13, 2019, 12:43:53 pm »
I just read that a dioiketes was a fiscal administrator responsible for the land-tax, usually in a single diocese
All passes, Art alone Enduring stays to us; The Bust out-lasts the throne,-- The coin, Tiberius.

 

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