★ Lead seal of Philaretos Brachamios sebastos and domestikos of Eoas ★

Lead seal of Philaretos Brachamios sebastos and domestikos of Eoas (East) (ca 1078-1084).A historically important and artistically nice seal!

Condition: Slightly off-centered, somewhat trimmed on obv., otherwise VF. Attractive natural dark patina.

Obverse: Saint Theodore, nimbate, standing facing, in military garments, holding a spear in his right hand, and resting his left hand on a shield. Columnar inscription: [O A]Γ[IOC]-Θ/Є/Ω-Δ/Ο-P(OC) = Ὁ ἅγιος Θεόδωρος (Saint Theodoros), all within dotted border.

Reverse: Inscription in 7 lines, following a decorative pattern, all within dotted border: ΤΟΝ ΕΩΑC/.Δ(Ο)Μ(ΕC)Τ(ΙΚΟΝ) CΚΕΠ(Ε)/ΜΑΡ(ΤΥC) Ω ΤΟΝ C[Ε]/[Β]ΑCΤΩΝ ΦΙ/[Λ]ΑΡΕΤΟΝ/[ΒΡ]ΑΧΑΜ(ΙΟΝ) = Τὸν Ἑῴας δομέστικον σκέπε, ὦ μάρτυς, τὸν σεβαστὸν Φιλάρετον Βραχάμιον (Oh martyr [Theodoros], protect Philaretos Brachamios, the domestikos of East and sebastos).

Philaretos Brachamios (Varazhnuni), Romanos IV’s strategos, doux and, according to Anna Komnene (An. Komn. 2:64.5-8), and the present seal, domestikos, was —if we believe MICHAEL I THE SYRIAN (Chronique, tr. Chabot 3:173)— an Armenian robber from the village of Shurbaz; thus his identification as a Byz. gen¬eral is questionable. After Romanos IV’s blinding, Philaretos became independent ruler of Tarsos, Antioch, Edessa, Melitene, and some other east¬ern centers. Greek, Syriac, and Armenian tradi¬tions all charge Philaretos with cruelty and greed: he allegedly confiscated the riches of Antiochene magnates and distributed them among his sup¬porters. After Nikephoros Ill’s accession to the throne (1078), Philaretos acknowledged his allegiance to the Byz. and was proclaimed kouropalates and do¬mestikos ton scholon of the East; in 1084 he surren¬dered Antioch to the Turks. He disappeared thereafter from the scene, but an anonymous Syriac chronicle mentions the sons of Philaretos domestikos, “Christians” (i.e., Orthodox) who ruled over Maras and Black Mountain (A.S. Tritton, H.A.R. Gibb, JRAS [Jan. 1933] 72O. The family is not known after the 11th cent., except in 1171 when Brachamioi served as messengers in nego¬tiations between Manuel I and the Armenians. BIBLIOGRAPHY: Cheynet-Vannier, Etudes 57—74. Adontz, Etudes 147— 52. V.A. Arutjunova-Fidanjan, Armjane-chalkidonity na vos- tocnych granicach Vizantijskoj imperii (Erevan 1980) 152—69. C.J. Yamiey, “Philaretos: Armenian Bandu or Byzainine General?” REArm n.s. 9 (1972) 331—53 (Kazhdan, Alexander, ed. (1991), Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium, Oxford University Press, p. 319).

Weight: 14.72 gr
Diameter: 27 mm