Philaretos (Brachamios), sebastos and domestikos of the regiments (of the East), 1081. Seal (Lead, 27 mm, 16.06 g, 12 h). Saint Theodore, nimbate, standing facing, holding spear in his right hand and resting his left on shield. Rev. [ΓPAΦAC / CΦP]AΓIZⲰ CE/[RAC]T૪ S T, ΛOΓ, / [ΦIΛ]APET૪ TЄ / [T, C]XOΛⲰN ΔO/[MЄC]TIK૪ ('I seal the writings and words of Philaretos, sebastos and domestikos of the regiments') in six lines. Erdogan/Prigent, Adana and Maras, 2. Wassiliou-Seibt, Sammlung Boersema, 8. Some surface weakness and struck on a short blank, otherwise, 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 central Byzantine government's loss of most of eastern Asia Minor. 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 dignities of sebastos and protosebastos shortly after his ascension to the throne in 1081.