Georgios Asprokephales, patrikios and strategos of Moglena, 11th century. Seal (Lead, 28 mm, 13.45 g, 12 h). [O] A/ΓI/O/C - Γ/E/ⲰP/ΓI/O/C Saint George, standing facing, nimbate, holding spear in his right hand, and resting left hand on a shield .
Rev. +KЄ R,Θ, / TⲰ CⲰ Δ૪Λ / ΓЄⲰPΓ, ΠPI / S CTPATIΓ, MO/ΓΛЄNⲰN TⲰ / ACΠPOKЄ/ΦAΛ, in seven lines, decorations above and flanking the last line. Unpublished in the standard references. An intriguing seal mentioning an extremely rare military command and a possibly unique family name. Good very fine.
From an important collection of Roman and Byzantine seals, tesserae and amulets, formed before 2021.
Moglena, a region located in northern Greece and parts of North Macedonia, was a strategic and political center of significant importance within the medieval Bulgarian state. After its capture by Basil II (976–1025), the stronghold was demolished, and the name disappears from sources until the late 11th century. The renowned Byzantine historian Anna Komnene, daughter of Emperor Alexios I Komnenos, writes that Bohemond of Tarentum settled in Moglena. It was later besieged and captured by the prominent Armenian general Gregorios Pakourianos, who once again razed the fortress to the ground. Documentary sources indicate that Moglena was organized as a theme by 1086. A seal published by Jordanov attests to a tourmarches of Moglena named Joseph Maniakes, though a strategos for the region has not yet been identified on seals.
