Athena Ruby Inscription Font

Dumbarton Oaks is pleased to announce plans for the creation of a single, comprehensive font for use in the scholarly publication of Byzantine inscriptions. The new font, called Athena Ruby, will be an OpenType, Unicode-compliant font, and therefore compatible with all major operating systems.

Information for Type DesignersWe are now soliciting bids from professional type designers to undertake this project. We will begin to review bids on 12 April 2010, and do so until the project is awarded. Learn more about the bidding process.

Inscription fonts at Dumbarton OaksIn the early 1980s Nicolas Oikonomides developed a True Type font suitable for publishing seal inscriptions. His 1986 study, A Collection of Dated Byzantine Lead Seals, published at Dumbarton Oaks, was the first book to use this font, later named Athena. The font was groundbreaking. It featured the ligatures, abbreviations, and variant letterforms characteristic of Byzantine seals. The way the book was made was just as innovative. Oikonomides prepared the entire volume on his Apple Macintosh 512 and generated camera-ready copy on a laser printer (only recently invented), an unusual process in the mid-1980s. His goal was to give sigillographers direct control over nuances in the typography, to allow them, for instance, to choose variant letterforms and ligatures. According to Oikonomides, This new methoddoes away with intermediate typings and retypings of the manuscript, eliminates several proofreadings, and ultimately saves time for the scholar and money for the publishing institution while producing an affordable book of an acceptable presentation. The appearance of the book and the font inaugurated for Dumbarton Oaks an era of sigillographic publications, most notably Studies in Byzantine Sigillography and Catalogue of Byzantine Seals, which use Athena. In the 1990s the Publications Department at Dumbarton Oaks developed other digital fonts suitable for books about numismatics and epigraphy: Grierson, Grierson Variants, Coin Art, Coin Greek, and Coin Inscription. All these fonts in both Mac and PC versions are now in use by scholars and academic institutions. They form the basis for Athena Ruby, which will supplant them. Download the bid packet.

2010, Dumbarton Oaks, Washington DC, Trustees for Harvard University, all rights reserved. Updated: 3/18/10 at 6:36 PM

Call for bidsAthena Ruby Inscription FontDumbarton Oaks invites professional type designers to submit bids for the creation of Athena Ruby, a font for the publication of inscribed coins, seals, and other objects from the Byzantine world. Formal review of bids will begin 12 April 2010 and continue until the project is awarded.

OverviewThe font is to be OpenType and Unicode compliant. Its character set is to include (1) the Latin and Greek alphabets (uppercase only, but including variant letterforms, ligatures, abbreviations, and combining superscript letters), (2) Greek accents (plus precomposed combinations of nos. 1 and 2), (3) specialized punctuation, and (4) specialized symbols and decorations. Specifics about the glyphs are explained below. Ligatures and variant letterforms should retain their underlying Unicode values, and they should be accessible to users of standard Unicode-compliant word processors such as Microsoft Word. The type designer awarded the contract will have access to scholars and scholarly research in Byzantine studies, to assist the creation of the font. The typographic style of Athena Ruby will be sans serif. Athena Ruby should blend well with typefaces used for book text, especially Adobe Garamond Premier Pro and Adobe Minion Pro, which are Dumbarton Oaks' standard typefaces for book composition. The typography should accurately represent the ideal letterforms seen in Byzantine coins and seals, with the exception of finials. The architecture should not depart radically from our earlier inscription font, Athena (see Sample of Characters To Be Included in Athena Ruby in the bid packet), and all the characters should be of consistent design and appearance. The font should be designed in such a way as to make future updates straightforward. The font should be compatible with XML standards based on the P5 release of the Text Encoding Initiative (TEI) Consortium, namely EpiDoc, SigiDoc, and NummiDoc. The last two projects, which are still under development, will look to this font as an important tool for the creation of their guidelines. The type designer with whom we work will be given priority for future updates of the font.

Background

Byzantine inscriptions exhibit Greek and Latin letters, all in uncial (uppercase) form, with the exception of letterforms that resemble the shapes of lowercase letters but are best described as cursive. A single letter may have many different major letterforms, the differentiation of which is critical to the work of sigillographers and numismatists, who frequently use them to classify and date their material.

InventoryThe description below of what is to be included in Athena Ruby should be read in conjunction with Sample of Characters To Be Included in Athena Ruby in the bid packet, a document that presents early, uncorrected versions of the desired characters. A separate document listing all characters and assigning them to their appropriate Unicode codepoints is now under development and is yet to be finalized. The statistics below represent the figures from that document as of 25 February 2010. 1. Two alphabets are envisioned: Greek and Latin, and in uncial (uppercase) only. The Latin alphabet is to have 24 letters (no J or W), some of which have variant letterforms (87 total, at present). The Greek alphabet is to have the standard 24 letters, most of which have variant letterforms (102 total, at present). Numerous ligatures and abbreviations, common in Byzantine inscriptions, are to be included, including variants in design (105 total, at present). The Greek letters (and one ligature) should also be made available in a combining superscript form. 2. Accents appear in Greek inscriptions, but only occasionally. Standalone accents (5 individual and 6 combinations) and precomposed Greek characters (U+1F00 to U+1FFF, but only for uppercase vowels, 62 in all) need to be developed. 3. We need 27 (at present) punctuation signs, both modern and ancient (sometimes not easily distinguishable). 4. Symbols and decorations are found extensively in coins. We have 92 such characters. 5. We may also ask for an easy-to-use keyboard utility, either separately or in conjunction with a commonly available utility, for scholars to find needed characters easily.

Further ResourcesAthena Ruby will serve a scholarly world probably unfamiliar to most type designers, even those who have previously developed Greek fonts. To make their bid as strong as possible, we encourage applicants to familiarize themselves with Byzantine seals and coins. Available with the other downloadable documents for the bid packet are some samples pages from some of our coins and seals catalogues. These will illustrate well what Byzantine inscriptions look like and how scholars have attempted to transcribe those inscriptions.

To SubmitAll bids must include the information outlined below for them to be considered. If there is some part you cannot provide, please give a concise reason. Please present your bid information in the sequence outlined, with your cost estimate at the end. Applicants may include information beyond what is required as addendums. Bids that are clear, detailed, and well organized will be given preference. Any queries on the information to be provided or any technical questions should be sent to the following address. Bid response and accompanying materials can be submitted by email as PDF files. Final bids and accompanying materials may be also submitted as hard copy to this address: Athena Ruby Inscription Font Publications Dumbarton Oaks 1703 32nd Street, NW Washington, DC 20007 1. Contact information (name, company, address, phone number, website, e-mail address). 2. Curriculum vitae, or portfolio: please include a list of typefaces/fonts you have created using for other languages. 3. References of at least two previous clients. 4. Examples of fonts already designed by applicant. Please send the actual fonts so that we can try them. We will not use these fonts for any work, and will discard them after the bid process is closed. 5. Any further information pertaining to your suitability for this project. 6. Timetable (specifying availability for the project, and how long various phases will take). 7. Statement of envisioned approach to developing the typographic look. 8. A brief explanation of your vision of the procedure for creating the font, and also for the structure and coding. You might want to address the following questions: a. b. c. d. What software will be used to build and test the font? How will variant letterforms be encoded? How will ligatures be encoded? How will characters without Unicode point assignments be integrated into the font? By use of the PUA (if so, which block)? By some other means? Will the characters reside completely within the BMP or extend beyond it? e. What will be used to ensure the consistent and proper alignment of combining characters with their base characters? f. What mechanisms will be in place to ensure that scholars can easily access and use the advanced features of the font? 9. A full and detailed cost estimate. Please break down costs to the greatest level of detail you can. Preference will be shown to vendors who can itemize their costs.

2010, Dumbarton Oaks, Washington DC, Trustees for Harvard University, all rights reserved. Updated: 3/18/10 at 6:36 PM

Sample of Characters To Be Included in Athena RubyUpdated March 2010 Athena Ruby is to be a single OpenType font that includes all the characters found in our various Greek and Latin inscription fonts. In its full iteration it will have about 450 characters. Below is a list of glyphs that already exist in our legacy fonts. This representative selection of characters is provided to help type designers not only understand, roughly, what kind of font we want but to bid on the project intelligently. Many more glyphs are anticipated, but they are, for now, only hand drawn. The glyphs below may or may not be accurately drawn. Letters in purple are variants of the nearest black letter on the left.

LettersGreek: A a A a Q @ B b b G D d D E e E Z z H Y I K k kL l j M m N n J j z O p R RS s T U u F f X C V v V Latin: A c a A B S \ e E H I K M N O R R b G = # T U U X u Z Ligatures and abbreviations: f z j o o ) _ = # i q gM - ! @ m 1 $ tM c N n q Y y Z W w ri ( * # Q y 9 rX Combining Superscript Letters: all Greek letters, including the ligatures W and w

Accents ` (to be combined with vowels and the rho to create extended Greek letters, U+1F00..1FFF)

PunctuationAncient: 1 , 3 2 ' Modern: [ ] 9 ` @ 4 : , 35 6 . , | -

Symbols and Decorationpellet arrays: - & 1 ( 4 5 6 7 8 2 ; 3 : e ( 9 tendrils: $ % crosses: + t Q T > globus cruciger: x X z decorative chis: * stars: & * * ! # $ @ W moons: v V border decoration: pendilia: [ ]

imperial costume elements: A a D d I i L l U u F f J j K k S s ) g h y Z C E G H o p r assorted symbols: _ 0 m c Y B M N O P R b n { }@ < =

Selected Pages from Dumbarton Oaks Publications Showing the Use of Inscription Font

T H E C a l I p H aT E O f m U aW I ya , 6 6 0 6 8 0

45

TiberiasC aT. N O . 4 4 .O bv .: standing imperial figure with cross on crown holding long cross and globus cruciger R E v .:

, cross above; r.: XaLE; l.: aLLa

walker 1956, pp. 4649

The legends of these coins are usually blundered, with many varieties (no two of the nine known examples are alike). On some examples the mint name is written in blundered Greek or correctly in Arabic, abariya, on the obverse. The reverse inscription appears to denote a name, perhaps Khalid ibn [Abd] Allah. On some examples, BON appears in the exergue. Since this type always occurs with inaccurate or incomplete reverse legends, it is possible that it derives from a coinage like that of Damascus, whose original has not survived.R E f.:

Foss 2001, 7f. Nabratein, Scythopolis; Pella

fINDS:

The Main Bilingual seriesJund of Damascus Damascus

This is a complex coinage, with many varieties (see SICA p. 86); mules also appear. The relationship of the various types is still to be resolved, as is the vexed question of which are official issues and which are imitations.C aT. N O . 4 6 .

( a ) O bv.: standing figure in long robe holding staff with cross and globus cruciger; outline of robe continues to globe; l., bird on stand or palm branch or symbols; r., LEOR E v .: M, or exergue.

above, below; l., aNO, r. XII; DaM in

walker 1956, 711, SICA 56063

46

SyRIa

This type has many varieties, especially of obverse symbols and details of robe; legends often blundered. The enigmatic LEO of the obverse apparently represents a deformation of the last half of the reverse inscription aNaNEO that appears on the copper coins of Constans II and their imitations (see pp. 20, 28 above). The reverse type, with its meaningless date 17 (XII), derives from imitations of the Cyprus issues of Heraclius (see p. 22 above)f I N D S : Capernaum, Hammat Gader, Khirbet Kerak, Neve Ur, Scythopolis, Sepphoris; Irbid hoard (27); Salamis

( b ) O bv.: seated figure holding scepter and globus cruciger, bird on stand on l., LEOR E v .:

as previous, sometimes blundered.

walker 1956, 45

This unusual type may in fact be a product of the pseudo-Damascus mint, since several examples were found in a hoard with coins of that attribution.( C ) O bv.: standing imperial figure; outline of robe continues to globe; DaMaSKOS (often blundered). A major variety has a bird on stand or palm branch left of the figure.R E v .: M, above, below; duriba (or darb) dimashq jiz, struck in [or issue of ] da. . mascus; legal around.

walker 1956, 1217, SICA 56668 this type has many varieties.C aT. N O . 5 2 .

(D)

O bv .:

As previous but legend LEO on r.

R E v .: M, crudely drawn or above, below; duriba (or darb) dimashq jiz around. . .

walker 1956, 1825, SICA 56972

fINDS:

Antioch (4), Apamea (2); Hammat Gader, Nabratein; Amman

Types (a) and (d) are very common, forming the bulk of the coinage of Damascus. The evidence from overstrikes (Goodwin 2001a, 99f.) suggests that the Greek types are earlier than the Arabic.

T H E C a l I p H aT E O f m U aW I ya , 6 6 0 6 8 0C aT. N O . 6 0 .

49

O bv .: two standing figures, both holding scepters; fig. on r. also holds globus cruciger; cross between heads. R E v .:

M, above, below; HLIW l., POLE r., balabakk in ex. walker 1956, 3541, SICA 58486; the greek legend is often blundered as in cat. no. 60, which has nOLE on r.

This was an abundant issue, accounting for the vast majority of the Baalbek coins.C aT. N O . 6 3 .O bv .: standing imperial figure holding long cross and globus cruciger; pellet and palm branch on l., o in r. field R E v .:

M, above, below; HLIW l.; POL r.; balabakk below walker 1956, 6; foss 2001, no. 6; goodwin 2001b, 12

fINDS:

Antioch, Jerash; Lachish hoard; Salamis

A detailed study of the Baalbek coinage based on examination of a thousand coins and analysis of the links between the dies used (48 obverse, 69 reverse) indicates that the type with cross on steps was the first, soon abandoned in favor of the much more common cat. no. 60, which was itself struck only for a short time. The third type, which combines a characteristic obverse of Damascus with a Baalbek reverse, belongs to a smaller series (about 10 percent of the coins) that closely associates types of the two cities. The most plausible explanation seems to be that these are late issues, the product of a time when the Baalbek mint had been moved to Damascus. Alternativelyand typical of the complexities that plague this seriesthey may all be imitations.R E f.:

Goodwin 2005a, 4983, Oddy 2004b, 135

50

SyRIa

Amman O bv .: two figures, one seated, one standing, holding a long cross between them.R E v .:

M, hadh uriba Ammn (readings uncertain)

Qedar 1989, pl. 6, no. 18; SNAPalstina 492; goodwin 2005a, 21

These extremely rare coins employ a type not used elsewhere. The examples so far published have inscriptions only in Arabic.

Jund of Homs Emesa/HomsC aT. N O . 6 4 .O bv .: facing bust wearing cuirass and paludamentum, with cross on diadem, holding globus cruciger; Ka/LON l. and r.; l., * r. of cross R E v .: , * above, flanked by EMI/SHS; in ex., ayyib, good

oddy 1987, 193

This very rare type may have formed an intermediate stage between the standing emperor coinage and the common type below.

C aT. N O . 7 5 .O bv .: As previous, but bilingual legend: KaLON l., bi-im r. Various symbols above or below. R E v .: , o*o above, flanked by EMI/SHS; in ex., ayyib; there is a great variety of symbols above the

walker 1956, 5772; SICA 53858; oddy 1987

This is the most extensive issue of the whole ArabByzantine series (at least 59 obverse and 63 reverse dies); coins of Emesa are more common than those of any other mint, including that of the capital, Damascus. These coins appear to form a highly controlled and organized production. Because of its regularity and the complexity of its symbols, it may have had eight (and possibly sixteen) periods of minting. There

32

CONSTANTINE V?

31.1 Leo III and Constantine V (72041)DO 58.106.588. D. 33 mm.; eld: 26 mm. W. 24.18 g. Corroded. Ed. ZacosVeglery, 34 bis b. For a similar specimen (in better condition) see their 34 bis a. See also Seibt, Bleisiegel, no. 15 and Likhachev, Nekotorye, 525 and 527, gs. 37 and 39.

Obv. Cross potent on four steps. Circular inscription. Wreath border. EOO6Rb=6UU=...I6R6= Rev. Inscription of six lines. Wreath border. EO|=SO=A|.I0O=RI|=TOIA=I|I0=bO|AIO En onom(ati) tu p(at)r(os) () tu y(io)u () t[u ag]iu pn(eumato)s. Leon () Consta[n]tinos pistoi basilis Romaion. Zacos and Veglery have assigned this specimen to the reign of Leo III on the basis that the legend on the reverse is rendered in stumpy letters. We are inclined to agree with their dating because the upper portion of the upright bar of the cross, just as on Leos miliaresia, is substantially shorter than the lower part. The two authors point out that on the obverse: (a) RAbO= is abbreviated Rb; and (b) REAO= is abbreviated R=. On the coin, as well as the seal, the engraver has jettisoned N and employs . We also call attention to the use of = for , an abbreviation that appears both on Leos silver issues and his seals (see line 2 of the reverse of the present specimen). Of further interest are the inscriptions on the obverse and reverse of the seal. We see here Greek legends expressed in Latin letters. For clarity we observe that A=II= is the Latin equivalent of the Greek . 31.2 Leo III and Constantine V (72041)DO 55.1.4278. D. 33 mm; eld 27 mm. W. 27.88 g. One-quarter missing. Unpublished.

Obv. Cross potent on four steps. Circular inscription. Wreath border. EO....6Rb=6UU=00A0IR= Rev. Inscription of six lines. Wreath border. EO|=SO=A|IO=..|=TOIA0=.|I0=bO|AIO En o[nom(ati) t]u p(at)r(os) () tu y(io)u () tu agiu pn(eumato)s. Leon () Constantinos [pi]stoi bas[i]lis Romaion. Wreath border. As on the seal above, the upper section of the vertical shaft of the cross on the obverse is appreciably shorter than the lower one; the letters of the inscription on the reverse appear compressed. On the obverse RAbO= is abbreviated Rb and REAO= is abbreviated R=.

32. CONSTANTINE V? If the seal below belongs to Constantine V, it would have to date to the period prior to Leo IVs elevation to the rank of co-emperor in 751.

61

I 32.1 Constantine V (74151)?

EMPERORS AND EMPRESSES

DO 58.106.581. D. 37 mm.; eld: 32 mm. W. 41.00 g. Chipped at top. Ed. ZacosVeglery, no. 35 bis.

Obv. Cross potent on three steps. Circular inscription. Wreath border. POOb........aI= Rev. Inscription of ve lines. Wreath border. S0O0=|AIO=|RI=O=A|=IE=b0O|AIO0 onom(ati) tu p(at)r[(os) () tu y(io)u () t]u agiu b(ne)u(mato)s. Constantinos pistos basileus Romaion. Zacos and Veglery printed the opening initial letters of the circular inscription on the obverse as and interpreted the two letters before the nal = as an upside down and retrograde R. In his review of the ZacosVeglery volume, Werner Seibt (BSl 36 [1975]: 209) was inclined to assign this seal to the years 79092 and the reign of Constantine VI, and indeed Zacos and Veglery were uncertain whether to attribute the specimen to Constantine V or Constantine VI. Certainly its overall design is strikingly different from the specimens above that we have attributed to Leo III and Constantine V. The eld is larger in diameter, allowing the cross potent on the obverse to be higher and wider without crowding the circular inscription, a feature, we might add, of the silver coinage of Leo IV. The legend on the reverse is distinguished by tall letters, evenly spaced. On the other hand, the elds of two iconic specimens that can be reasonably assigned to Constantine VI (see Zacos Veglery, nos. 38 and 39) are substantially smaller in diameter. On balance then we prefer to keep Zacos and Veglerys ascription, while admitting that Seibt could be correct. 33. CONSTANTINE V AND LEO IV Aniconic miliaresia were struck under the co-emperorship of Constantine V and Leo IV from 751 until 775. They bear on the obverse a legend of ve lines reading SO|=AI|E=EO|ESYEA| =II=!: Constantine () Leon ec eu basilis. On the reverse appears a cross potent on steps and the legend I==XbI= =ISa: Isus ristus nica.

DOC 3.1:5.3 (pl. VIII).

62

34

LEO IV AND CONSTANTINE VI

33.1 Constantine V and Leo IV (75175)DO 58.106.589. D. 33 mm. W. 29.44 g. Ed. ZacosVeglery, no. 36c. The example published by Seibt, Bleisiegel, no. 16 (751ca. 770) is thought by the editor to be perhaps a late VIIIth-century forgery.

Obv. Cross potent on four steps. Circular inscription. Wreath border. E00O0............0ASI= Rev. Inscription of six lines. Indeterminate border. .O0=|AI0|O==EO8R|I=OIA=8I|I=bO|AIO En on[om(ati) tu p(at)r(os) () tu y(io)u ()] tu agiu b(ne)u(mato)s. [C]onstantinos () Leon pistoi basilis Romaion. At the end of the circular inscription on the obverse the letter appears as S and instead of R= REAO= is, as on the specimen above (no. 32.1), abbreviated =. Zacos and Veglery (no. 36b) attribute to Constantine V and Leo IV a seal on which REAO= is abbreviated R=.

33.2 Constantine V and Leo IV (75175)DO 55.1.4271. D. 31 mm. W. 23.56 g. Ed. ZacosVeglery, no. 36a.

Obv. Cross potent on steps. Circular inscription visible at l. Indeterminate border. OORb . . . Rev. Inscription of six lines. Indeterminate border. SO00=|AI0|O==EO.|.=OIA=8I|I=bO|A8IO Constantinos () Leon [pi]stoi basilis Romaion. We have left the inscription on the obverse unresolved because we are unsure how it should read. A parallel specimen published in Seyrig, no. 4, is not helpful because of chipping along the edge.

34. LEO IV AND CONSTANTINE VI Aniconic miliaresia were struck in the names of Leo IV and Constantine VI between 776 and 780. The obverse is decorated with an inscription of ve lines reading EO|=SO=|aIEE|SYEa|

DOC 3.1:3.4 (pl. 12).

63

I

EMPERORS AND EMPRESSES

=II=: Leon () Constantine ec eu basilis. The reverse features a cross potent on steps and the circular legend I==XbI= =ISa: Isus Xristus nica. 34.1 Leo IV and Constantine VI (77680)DO 55.1.4277. D. 39 mm; eld 30 mm. W. 43.18 g. Chipped Ed. ZacosVeglery, no. 37.

Obv. Cross potent on four steps. Circular inscription. Wreath border. OO8R0b==00U0U0=000A,I= Rev. Inscription of six lines. Wreath border. EO|=SO=|IO=R|8I=OIA=I|I=bO|AIO En onom(ati) tu p(at)r(o)s () tu y(io)u () tu a(g)iu b(ne)u(mato)s. Leon (ce) Const[a]ntinos pistoi basilis Romaion. On this specimen RAbO= is abbreviated Rb. REAO= is abbreviated =, as on our nos. 32.1 and 33.1.

35. CONSTANTINE VI On the seal published below there is no mention of the empress Eirene, suggesting that the specimen was struck between October of 790, when Constantine conned her to quarters in the palace, and her recall in January of 792. On iconic coins Constantine VI regularly appears with his mother, as on the solidus illustrated below, and indeed no coins showing Constantine alone are known for the period to which Grierson attributes solidi (79092; DOC 3.1:2) in which Eirene is shown without a globus cruciger. On aniconic miliaresia her name is normally paired with his. For the chronology of the reign of Constantine and his mother see DOC 3.1: pp. 33638.

DOC 3.1:3a.3 (pl. 14).

35.1 Constantine VI (79092)DO 58.106.561. D. 25 mm; eld 21 mm. W. 10.67 g. Ed. ZacosVeglery, no. 39.

Obv. Half-length representation of the emperor Constantine VI beardless wearing crown with a cross and a chlamys pinned together with a bula on the r. shoulder and holding in the r. hand a globus cruciger and an akakia in the l. hand. Circular inscription. Wreath border. SO=A-IO=A=1Y

64

75 (THE CHURCH?) OF THE THEOTOKOS ELEOUSA

75. (THE CHURCH?) OF THE THEOTOKOS ELEOUSA A church of the Virgin Elesousa was built on the orders of John II (1118-1143). See Janin, Eglises, 175; and C. Sode, Byzantinische Bleisiegel in Berlin II (Bonn, 1997), no. 369. But another church of this name is also known at Constantinople (p. 176). Janin, Grand Centres, 380-81, lists a church of this name at Thessalonica and another, but of late date, at Trebizond (272). 75.1 (The church?) of the Theotokos Eleousa (XI/XII c.)Fogg 567. D. 20 mm. W. 7.73 g. Unpublished, but illustrated (pl. 146) by Laurent, Corpus V/2, no. 1150 bis (variant).

Obv. Bust of the Virgin orans; at l. and r., 6MR-6Y.: M(th)r Y(eo)[]. No visible border. Rev. Inscription of four lines precedeed (and followed) by decoration. Indeterminate border. -+-|0HSFRA|G,TIS6YKW|TISELE|.SHS [H] sfrag(w) tw Y(eot)kou tw Ele[o]shw. A twelve-syllable verse. 75.2 (The church?) of the Theotokos Eleousa (XII c.)Fogg 970. D. 25 mm. W. 7.96 g. Ed. Laurent, Corpus V/2, no. 1150. A similar seal appeared in Hirsch Sale, 189 (7-10 February, 1996), no. 1611.

Obv. Bust of the Virgin with Christ on r. arm; at l. sigla, possibly: 6hR-6UX: M(th)r X(risto). Border of dots. Rev. Inscription of four lines preceded by a cross. Border of dots. +|HSFRA|G? THS6YKW|THSEL0E|OUSH. H sfrag(w) tw Y(eot)kou tw Eleosh[w]. A twelve-syllable verse. 75.3 (The church?) of the Theotokos Eleousa (XII c.)Fogg 2061. D. 20 mm. W. 5.03 g. Ed. Laurent, Corpus V/2, no. 1149.

Obv. Bust of the Virgin (partially effaced); l. hand visible: it is partially lifted with palm inward. Visible at r.: Y. Border of dots. Rev. Inscription of two lines. Wreath border. 0HE|LEOU|SA H Eleosa.

85

VI UNKNOWN LOCATIONS. SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS

76. THE MONASTERY OF ST. GREGORY THAUMATOURGOS 76.1 The beautiful monastery of St. Gregory Thaumatourgos (XI c.)DO 58.106.438. D. 28 mm; field 20 mm. W. 10.03 g. Ed. Laurent, Corpus V/2, no. 1253. Laurent illustrates two specimens: ours and perhaps one from the Zacos Collection.

Obv. Bust of St. Gregory Thaumatourgos holding his r. hand in blessing, book in l. hand. Inscription in two columns: O|GR|HGO|RIO|S-O|YA|UM|AT.|8R8G: O (giow) Grhgriow Yaumatourg(w). Border of dots. Rev. Inscription of six lines. Border of dots. +THSV|RAIASMON,|TwAG,wGRH|GOR,TwYAU|0M0ATOUR|8G Tw raaw mon(w) to g()ou Grhgor(ou) to Yaumatorg(ou). 77. THE MONASTERY OF HARMATOLOS 77.1 The monastery of Harmatolos (VII/VIII c.)DO 58.106.410. D. 22 mm. W. 8.93 g. Ed. Zacos-Veglery, no. 433.

Obv. A cross surmounted by the letter F; in the quarters: S-R|G-HS: Sfr[a]gw. Wreath border. Rev. Inscription of four lines. Indeterminate border. +MON|HSTOU|aMART|OLOU Sfr[a]gw monw to Amartolo. We can not be sure if we are dealing here with a family name or simply an epithet, the sinner. Cf. the remarks of Cheynet in Spink I, no. 36. 78. THE IMPERIAL MONASTERY Laurent (Corpus, V/3, no. 1904) published only one of several specimens from the Dumbarton Oaks collections attesting the existence of a monastery known as the Imperial, an establishment which, under this name at least, is not otherwise known. Most of the seals appearing below are unpublished. 78.1 Theodosios monk and higoumenos of the Imperial Monastery (X/XI c.)DO 55.1.4940. D. 21 mm. W. 7.51 g. Unpublished.

Obv. Cruciform invocative monogram (type X); in the quarters: .V-SV|DW-LV. At r. one can perceive two six-rayed stars at top and bottom. Indeterminate border. Rev. Inscription of five lines followed by decoration. Indetermnate border. +YE|ODOSH.|0MONAX=|0HGWM,TI|Sb,MO0N|!^ Krie boyei [t] s dol Yeodos[] monax() (ka) gou(mn) tw b(asilikw) mon(w). 86

78 THE IMPERIAL MONASTERY 78.2 George imperial protospatharios epi tou Chrysotriklinou and grand kourator of the Imperial Monastery (X/XI c.)DO 58.106.5509. D. 28 mm; field 24 mm. W. 9.09 g. Unpublished.

Obv. Half-length bust of St. George holding a spear diagonally across chest. Inscription in two columns: q-G|EO,: O (giow) Ge(rgiow). Beginning at 9 oclock, circular inscription: +0K0Eb4-TVSVD4. Border of dots. Rev. Inscription of five lines. Circle of pellets within a double border of dots. +GEVRG,|b/A/SPAY/EP|IT,XRU,=ME|G,0KWRATI0V|T,b,MONIS K(ri)e b(oyei) t s d(ol) Gevrg() b(asilik) (prvto)spay(ar) p t(o) Xru(sotrklnou) (ka) meg(l) kourativ (sic) t(w) b(asilikw) monw. KOURATIV (line 5, rev.): kourtvri misspelled? 78.3 George (proto?)spatharios epi tou Chrysotriklinou and grand kourator of the Imperial Monastery (X/XI)DO 55.1.4938. D. 24 mm. W. 5.87 g. Unpublished.

Obv. Bust of St. George (partially destroyed). It seems he is holding a spear dfiagonally across chest. Traces of circular inscription: +AGIEG: Agie G[ergie boyei]. Border of dots. Rev. Inscription of five lines. Border of dots. .GEVR,|.0SPAY/E|..9TWXR,=M/|.WR,.b/|0MON Agie G[ergie boyei] Ger(gie) [(prvto)]spay(ar) [p] to Xr(usotriklnou) (ka) m(egl) [k]our(tori) [t(w)] b(asilikw) mon(w). Reverse (last line): the first visible letter is partially destroyed but one can perceieve that it was formed with an upright bar at r. 78.4 Kyriakos monk of the Imperial monastery (XI c.)(a) DO 55.1.4959. D. 23 mm; field 15 mm. W. 9.35 g. (b) DO 55.1.4960. D. 26 mm. W. 8.86 g. Chipped. The two specimens are from the same boulloterion and so are edited jointly. Ed. Laurent, Corpus V/3, no. 1905 (= our specimen a).

a

Obv. Inscription of four lines, the last letter between two horizontal bars: 6KEb,Y,|.0VSVDW|.0URIA|.K-. Border of dots. Rev. Inscription of four lines preceded by decoration, the last letter possibly between two horizontal bars. Border of dots. -+-|MONAX|9TVDES|0POTI|K. K(ri)e b(o)y(ei) [t] s do(l) [K]uriak() monax() t despotik().b

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VI UNKNOWN LOCATIONS. SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS 78.5 Basil monk and oikonomos of the Imperial Monastery (XI)DO 47.2.331. D. 27 mm. W. 14.55 g. Corroded. Deep crease across the obverse face. Unpublished.

Obv. Seemingly a bust; details largely destroyed. But one seems to obverse a figure holding a spear diagonally across chest. No trace of epigraphy or border. Rev. Inscription of (five?) lines. Border of dots. +K0EbY,|bAS0HL,|60AX=OIK,|.0b7MON|.. K(ri)e b(o)y(ei) Bashl(e) (mon)ax() (ka) ok(onm) [t(w)] b(asilikw) mon[w]. 78.6 Merkourios monk and presbyteros of the Imperial Monastery (XI c.)DO 58.106.386. D. 18 mm. W. 5.31 g. Corroded (obv.). Ed. Laurent, Corpus V/3, no. 1904 (with misreading).

Obv. Bust of St. George holding a spear (r. hand) and shield (l. hand). Remains of an inscription at r.: .|8GE|V: :[O (giow)] Ge[rgi(ow)]. Border of dots. Rev. Inscription of five lines. Border of dots. +0K0E0b.|0MERKwR|.6AX=PRE|.bUTER,TI|.0b7MONI0S K(ri)e b(o)[y(ei)] Merkour()[] (mon)ax() (ka) pre[s]butr() t[w] b(asilikw) monw. Line 5 (rev.): Laurent incorrectly read the last word as mon. 79. THE MONASTERY OF ST. JOHN PRODROMOS 79.1 The monastery of the Prodromos (XI c.)a (a) DO 58.106.5382. D. 25 mm; field 13 mm. W. 8.88 g. Chipped. (b) DO 47.2.1892. D. 18 mm. W. 3.66 g. Corroded. Ed. Laurent, Corpus V/2, no. 1283 (= our specimen b; accession no. misidentified; misreading) and Corpus V/3, no. 1912. The seal illustrated is our specimen (a). Similar seal in the IFEB Collection.

Obv. Bust of St. John Prodromos holding r. hand in blessing, scroll in l. hand. Inscription in two columns: q|5IV|O-0rP|0D|8RO|M: O (giow) Iv(nnhw) Pr()drom(ow). Border of dots. Rev. Inscription of five lines. Border of dots. SF6RAG,|MAGRAF,|SFRAGIS|HTwPRO|DROMw Sfrg(is)ma graf(n) sfragw to Prodrmou.b (c) DO 58.106.378. D. 13 mm. W. 2.44 g. Ed. Laurent, Corpus V/3, no. 1912. Not illustrated.

Obv. Bust of St. John Prodromos; details of hands indistinct. Inscription visible at r.: P|R|D|R: [O (giow) Iv[nnhw) ] Pr()dr(omow). No border visible. Rev. Inscription of five lines No visible border. .FRA|0MAGRA|SFRAGI|HTwPR|DRO0Mc

[S]fr[g(is)]ma gra[f(n)] sfrag(w) to Pr[o]drm(ou). Twelve-syllable verse.

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80 THE IMPERIAL MONASTERY OF ST. JOHN THS EUHMIS 79.2 The monastery of the Prodromos .... (XII c.)Fogg 2863. D. 22 mm. W. 5.33 g. Half missing. Unpublished.

Obv. St. John the Baptist standing frontally holding a long staff cross. Visible at r.: 0P|D|0M: [O (giow) Iv(nnhw) ] P(r)d(ro)m(ow). Border of dots. Rev. Inscription of five lines. Border of dots. SFRA|MON0H|PR0O.|Tw.|. Sfra[gw] mon[w t(o)] Pro[drmou] tou ..... It is not possible to prove because crucial letters letters are absent, but it could well be that this specimen reads: Sfragw monw to Prodrmou to Iordnou. This suggestion is based in part on the similarity of iconography between our specimen and seals of the latter institution. 80. THE IMPERIAL MONASTERY OF ST. JOHN THS EUHMIS 80.1 The imperial monastery of St. John Prodromos tw Emiw(a) DO 55.1.5071. D. 22 mm. W. 5.89 g. (b) Fogg 978. D. 22 mm. W. 5.80 g. Ed. Laurent, Corpus V/3, no. 1944 (= our specimen a), Corpus V/2, no. 1285 (= our specimen b; with misreading) and N. Oikonomides, The Concept of Holy War and Two-Tenth Century Byzantine Ivories, in Peace and War in Byzantium, ed. T. Miller and J. Nesbitt (Washington, DC, 1995), 81 (Oikonomides notes a parallel specimen in the Athens Numismatic Museum, no. 673/91). Laurent identified (b) as Fogg 2100. The two specimens are from the same boulloterion and so their readings are combined below.

Obv. Bust of St. John Prodomos; details obscure. Inscription in two columns: q|5IV|O-..|0D.|0M: O (giow) Iv(nnhw) [Pr()]d[r(o)]m(ow). Border of dots. Rev. Inscription of five lines, decoration below. Border of dots. +SFRAG|THSb,MO|N,TOUPRO|DROM,THS|E.HMIS|-^Sfrag(w) tw b(asilikw) mon(w) to Prodrm(ou) tw E[]miw. The reading seems to be confirmed from an inscription on an ivory plaque in the possession of the church of San Francesco of Cortona. It is unclear what language lies behind E[]miw. The word does not seem to be related either to Greek, Slavic or Armenian.

a

b

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VI UNKNOWN LOCATIONS. SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS 81. (CHURCH OR MONASTERY) OF ST. JOHN THE THEOLOGIAN 81.1 (Church or monastery) of St. John the Theologian (VIII/IX c.)DO 55.1.4943. D. 27 mm. W. 12.49 g. Ed. Laurent, Corpus V/3, no. 1688.

Obv. Cross; in the quarters: TO-..|GI-..: to[ ]g[ou]. Wreath border. Rev. Inscription of four lines. Wreath border. +IV|.NNOU|.OUYEO|LOGW To[ g][ou] Iv[]nnou [t]o Yeolgou. 82. THE MONASTERY OF KEPHALOBOUNION 82.1 N. kathegetes of (the monastery of) Kephalobounion (XI c.)DO 55.1.4789. D. 20 mm.; field 13 mm. W. 5.62 g. Unpublished.

Obv. Bust of the Virgin holding a medallion of Christ before her. Along the circumference a circular inscription, beginning at 9 oclock: +YK-EbY,. Border of dots. Rev. Inscription of four lines, decoration above. Border of dots. -!-|+TVKA|YIGIT,Tw|KE0FALO|bwNIw Y(eot)ke b(o)y(ei) t kayigit() to Kefalobounou. 83. THE MONASTERY OF LOKNE 83.1 N. hegoumenos of Lokne (X/XI c.)DO 55.1.4944. D. 18 mm.; field 15 mm. W. 4.20 g. Ed. Laurent, Corpus V/3, 1941.

Obv. Bust of a bishop saint blessing (r. hand) and holding a book (l. hand). Inscription in two columns: O|A|N-.|L0A|I. Laurent has suggested that the figure is St. Nicholas, which it could be if we assume that the letter I at bottom r. is to be read with the N at bottom l.: O (giow) Ni[k()]la[o(w)]. Border of dots. Rev. Inscription of three lines with a pellet at top and pellets flanking the letter in the final line. Border of dots. !|HGW|MENO|LOKNI|!S! Hgomeno(w) Lkniw. 84. THE MONASTERY OF THE OKTAON 84.1 Timothy imperial klerikos and oikonomos of the monastery of the Oktaon (XI c.)(a) Fogg 1807. D. 25 mm. W. 7.61 g. (b) DO 55.1.4945. D. 26 mm. W. 9.16 g. The two sepcimens are from the same boulloterion and are edited jointly

90