Hamazasp Mamikonian, patrikios, magister and archon of Armenia. Seal (Lead, 26 mm, 13.16 g, 12 h), circa 655-659. +AMA/ZACΠI૪ / ΠATPI/KI૪ in four lines. Rev. MAMA/KOVNЄ / MICTЄP / S APX ARMS in four lines. W. Seibt and G. Boersema: Das byzantinische Siegel des Hamazasp Mamikonean, 'regierender Fürst von Armenien' unter Konstans II, in: Revue des Études Arméniennes 42 (2023-2024), 261-264 (this seal). A unique seal of an early medieval Armenian ruler, and of the highest importance to Armenian history. Very fine.



Hamazasp Mamikonian was the ruling prince of Armenia circa 655-661, during one of the most turbulent periods in Armenian history, at the time of the first clashes between the Roman Empire and the emerging Islamic Caliphate. Hamazasp hailed from one of the oldest and most prominent Armenian noble families. The historian Sebeos describes him as 'an excellent man from every point of view, a good family man, a lover of reading and studying.' Hamazasp’s early political career was closely linked to the rule of his predecessor, Theodore Rshtuni, who governed Armenia during the 640s and early 650s. Hamazasp was married to the ruler’s daughter and participated in his political programme of balancing the border territory of Armenia between the Byzantine and Arab spheres of influence. He even accompanied his father-in-law into Arab territory for negotiations. However, after repeated Byzantine military defeats, Theodore signed a treaty with Muawiya (the later caliph, then governor of Syria under Uthman). The Byzantines, of course, regarded this as treason.

In 655, after the death of his father-in-law, Hamazasp Mamikonian was installed as ruler of Armenia by the Arabs. Soon afterwards, however, a major civil war broke out in the Islamic world, the First Fitna (656-661), causing Arab control over Armenia to weaken. Our sources attest two opposing factions within the Armenian aristocracy concerning whether allegiance should lie with the Byzantines or the Arabs. Hamazasp’s uncle Mushel Mamikonian, who commanded the Armenian cavalry, was himself part of the pro-Byzantine faction. In any event, still early in his reign, Hamazasp switched his allegiance to the Byzantines, and Emperor Constans II appointed him 'ruling prince of Armenia' (išχan), recognizing him as ruler of Armenia under Byzantine overlordship. He appears to have served Byzantine interests well, since later in his reign he was awarded the prestigious court dignity of kouropalates. Hamazasp was succeeded by his brother Grigor Mamikonian.

The first two titles mentioned in the seal’s legend are court dignities. Patrikios was still a highly elevated dignity during the seventh century. The inscription MICTEP is somewhat puzzling, but most probably refers to m(ag)ister. This title cannot denote the supreme military office of magister militum, but is better understood as a rendering of the Greek court dignity stratelates. Finally, the phrase 'archon of Armenia' refers to Hamazasp’s position as 'ruling prince of Armenia,' bestowed upon him by Constans II. Indeed, our sources frequently render the Armenian išχan (իշխան) by the Greek archon. For dating purposes, this means that the seal must have been produced after Hamazasp transferred his allegiance to the Byzantines and before his promotion to kouropalates.

The exceptional significance of this seal, however, goes beyond the identification of its owner and the reconstruction of his titles. It is fundamentally different from the comparatively familiar Middle Byzantine seals of officials and military commanders of Armenian origin who pursued careers within the Byzantine imperial system, such as those frequently encountered in the eleventh century. This is instead the seal of an Armenian išχan, the ruling prince of an 'autonomous' Armenia in the seventh century. Although Hamazasp had entered into Byzantine allegiance and bore prestigious Byzantine dignities, the authority expressed by the seal was exercised by an Armenian ruler in Armenia itself. In this respect, the seal is not merely a Byzantine seal belonging to a person of Armenian origin, but an exceptionally rare sigillographic document of Armenian political authority from the early Byzantine period. Its importance has also been recognized in a dedicated publication by Werner Seibt and Gert Boersema, who identified and discussed it as the seal of Hamazasp Mamikonian, 'ruling prince of Armenia' under Constans II.