Apnelgaripes Chasanios (Abul-Gharib Artsruni, son of Hasan), proedros and strategos of Tarsos and Sousounte, third quarter of the 11th century. Seal (Lead, 25 mm, 14.34 g, 12 h). ...- O ΓEP/ΓO/C Saint George, nimbate, standing facing, holding spear in his right hand and resting his left on shield. Rev. +AΠЄΛ/ΓAPIΠHC ΠP[O]/ЄΔPOC S CTP[A]/THΓ, TAPCOV [S] / C૪C૪NTЄ…/…ACAN in six lines. Cheynet, Les Marchapsaboi, p. 171, note 23 (this seal quoted). Cf. Cheynet, Collection Tatis no. 3.48 (see comment below). A highly interesting and historically significant seal of this Armenian nobleman. Minor surface cracks and breakage on the channel mouths, otherwise, good very fine.


Our seal and another seal type in the collection Tatis mention Apnelgaripes as strategos of Tarsos and a second location. Cheynet proposes to read the toponym as Sousounde, based on this seal, in combination with the seal in the collection Tatis (which reads Sou...de). This toponym is otherwise unattested. Another seal type of Apnelgaripes does not mention a military office, but only the dignity of magistros (Zacos II 362), which must therefore be dated before our seal, which has the higher court rank of proedros. Apnelgaripes can be identified with the Armenian nobleman Abul-Gharib Artsruni, son of Hasan. His family was closely associated with the family of Senacherim Johannes, prince of Vaspurakan. Although being of high Armenian descent, Apnelgaripes adhered to Byzantine orthodoxy and served the emperor, Michael VII, as governor of Cilicia. One of his daughters married David, son of Gagik II, the last king of Ani. Another of his daughters married Oshin of Lampron, from whom the Huthumids descended, rulers of the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia in the 13th-14th centuries.