Byzantine Seal Heraklios, Patrikios? 32.11mm 17.57g Zacos & Veglery I 849a?

[pogh_poor]

I have a nice large Byzantine Seal.  It measures 32.11mm and weighs 17.57g.  On the obverse is:

 
       
         
 

On the reverse:

 
 
 
 

I think that it solves Theotokos, help Heraklios, Patrikios and dates to the 7th/8th Century.  Am I right?  

Pogh_poor
 





Zacos & Veglery I 849a?

[pogh_poor]

I found a very similar seal - possibly even the same boulloterion - which is described as

Herakleios, Patricios, 698-705. Seal or Bulla (Lead, 32.5 mm, 18.59 g, 12 h). + ΘEOT/OKE BO/HΘEI + in five lines. Rev. +HPAKΛ/EIΩ ΠAT/PIKIΩ+ in five lines. Zacos & Veglery I 849a. Possibly the same Herakleios as Zacos I 1490A. Very fine.Herakleios was the brother of the emperor Tiberios III Apsimar. He was given the title Patrikios by his brother in 698. In 705, the returning emperor Justinian II had him arrested and executed, clearly seeing him as a threat to his rights to the throne.

[Gert]

The attribution 849 is ok. 1490A has an invocative monogram on the obv. It does have the dative legend and the + flanked by decorations as well. That affirms the attribution to the same individual, but this is not 100% certainty. The attribution to the brother of Tiberius III is possible, but also not certain. I'd say it is likely, considering it dates to his era and that there are not a lot of individuals bearing this name. There is, however, a seal type that certainly belongs to this famous Herakleios, because it bears his command of monostrategos, in addition to his dignity of patrikios (Z/V 1982, online in the DO database). It has an invocational monogram with Herakleio in the quadrants on the obv. and legend on rev.
Regards
Gert

[pogh_poor]

I like these seal.  While it will never be known for sure,  It would be excellent if it was the general.   Heraclius (Greek: Ἡράκλειος, Herakleios) was the brother of the Byzantine emperor Tiberius III (r. 698–705) and the Byzantine Empire's leading general during his reign. He scored a number of victories against the Umayyads, but was unable to halt the Arab conquest of Armenia, nor able to prevent the deposition of his brother by Justinian II (r. 685–695 and 705–711), who later captured and executed both Tiberius and Heraclius.
Pogh_poor

[Gert]

Yes, I like this kind of seal as well. I think there's a good chance it belonged to him.
Gert