Barasbatze Theodorokanos, imperial protospatharios and protomanglabites, 11th century. Seal (Lead, 22 mm, 8.24 g, 11 h). Θ / ΘЄ/O-Δ/OP/O, Nimbate facing bust of Saint Theodore, holding spear over his right shoulder and resting shield on his left arm. Rev. +KЄ R,Θ, / [R]ЄP,RATZЄ / [R]'A'CΠAΘAP, / [A]MAΓΛARI/T, O ΘЄOΔ,P/KANOC in six lines. Unpublished. An interesting new seal type of an Armeno-Iberian in Byzantine service. Very fine.


The 'manglabitoi', literally 'club-bearers', formed the imperial guard. The uncertain first letter of the fourth line is read A for 'protomanglabites', denoting the commander of the guard, a synonym for the conventional 'epi tou manglabiou'. Both the personal and family name of our seal's owner point to his Armeno-Iberian descent. Several Theodorokanoi are known from their seals and from written sources (cf. Werner Seibt, The Theodorokanoi, in SBS 13 p. 81-91), but the Barasbatze on our seal, who shares his name with one of the Georgian founders of the Iveron monastery on Athos, was hitherto unknown