Martinos, patrikios and logothetes of the God-guarded herds, 2nd half 8th-2nd half 9th century. Seal (Lead, 27 mm, 13.79 g, 1 h). Cruciform monogram ΘЄOTOKЄ BOHΘЄI; in quadrants TⲰ - CⲰ / Δ૪-ΛⲰ (‘Mother of God, help your servant’) . Rev. +MAP/TINⲰ ΠA/TPIKIⲰ S / ΛOΓ’ TⲰN / Θ’ AΓЄΛ/[ⲰN] in six lines. Unpublished in the standard references. Very fine.



A logothetes, of which there were several in the Byzantine Empire, was a high-ranking government official, equivalent to a minister or secretary of state. As logothetes of the herds, Martinos was in charge of the horses and mules that were reared in western Asia Minor. These animals were to be deployed in the army and the imperial postal service.