Gennadios, servant of God, chartoularios, 7th century. Seal (Lead, 29 mm, 15.11 g, 2 h). [+Γ]ЄNN[A]/ΔIOV Δ૪/ΛOV TO/V ΘV in four lines. Rev. Cruciform monogram XAPTOVΛAPIOV between crosses; below, two horses, one grazing, the other with its head raised. Seibt, Museum August Kestner 5. An interesting piece related to the breeding of horses. The obverse struck off center, otherwise, very fine.


The parallel seal from the Zarnitz collection published by Seibt evidently belongs to the same individual, but it was struck with a different boulleterion. On that example, the horse on the right is grazing. A chartoularios denotes an administrative official in one of the Byzantine state institutions or in the clergy. In his comment, Seibt proposes that the horses are indicative of the institution where Gennadios was active: the extensive ranches that were used to rear horses and pack animals for the army, the imperial stables, or the dromos, the postal system.