Beser (Arab Bashir), patrikios and strategos, first half 8th century. Seal (Lead, 30 mm, 21.27 g, 12 h). [ЄΞЄ]Λ૪ MЄ KЄ ЄΞ ANΘPOΠ૪ Π[OVHPOV] ("Beser / Deliver me, O Lord, from the evil man") Cruciform monogram BHCHP with crosses in quadrants. Rev. [A]ΠO ANΔPOC AΔIK૪ S ΔOΛI[OV PVCЄ] MЄ (patrikios and strategos / Preserve me from the unjust and deceitful man”) Cruciform monogram ΠATPIKI૪ with in quadrants CT-PA/TH-Γ૪. Berlin II 212. Joe Glynias, “Prayerful Iconoclasts” no. 2. Wassiliou-Seibt, Corpus 750. Zacos/Veglery 2835. A seal of high historical interest with relatively complete legends for the type. Very fine.


The circular legends on this seal quote Psalms 139, 2 and 42, 1. A person named Beser was part of the emperor Leo III's entourage and later Constantine V's, on whose side he also fought against the Armenian usurper Artavasdos. Theophanes the Confessor mentions Beser in the context of Leo III’s iconoclasm, calling the man a partner in the “evil” and “boorishness” of destroying icons. He also tells us Beser was a Christian taken captive in Syria, who had abjured his faith and followed the beliefs of the Arabs. Beser/Bashir also figures in the Islamic tradition, in a dialogue with the Muslim dialectician Wasil al-Dimashqi. There, he appears as a youth who, during Umayyad rule, was taught in the Islamic tradition, despite later reverting to Christianity and fleeing to the Byzantine emperor to “become one of his patricians”.