Philaretos Brachamios, protosebastos and domestikos of the East, 1081-1087. Seal (Lead, 23 mm, 9.25 g, 12 h). On the left, [O AΓ]I/O/C; on the right, ΘЄ/OΔ/OP/C Saint Theodore, nimbate, standing facing, holding spear and shield. Rev. ΔOMЄC/[T]IKON EOA / AΘΛITA CKЄ/[Π]OIC ACERA[C/T]ON ΦHΛAP/ЄTON RPA/XAMH (“Champion, may you protect Philaretos Brachamios protosebastos and domestikos of the East”) in seven lines. Cheynet, Société p. 405. Wassiliou-Seibt, Corpus 650d. A rare variety. A well struck seal of the famous Armenian general. Minor marks and striking weakness, otherwise, good very fine.

Philaretos Brachamios was a Byzantine general of Armenian descent who rose to fame in the wake of the Battle of Manzikert in 1071, a disastrous defeat that led to the loss of most of eastern Asia Minor by the central Byzantine government. However, a series of local Byzantine military commanders continued to fight the Seljuks in the late 11th century, the most successful of which was Philaretos, who controlled large parts of Cilicia, Armenia and Syria as a semi-autonomous warlord. His main strongholds were the important cities of Melitene and Antiochia, the latter of which was lost to the Seljuks in 1086, just twelve years before it was captured by the knights of the First Crusade in 1098. Philaretos is not mentioned much in historiographical sources, but a number of seals attest his cursus honorum. Our seal dates to the beginning of the reign of Alexios Komnenos, who likely awarded Philaretos his highest court dignity of protosebastos upon his ascension to the throne in 1081.