Aposachles (Abusahl) Senacherim, magistros, epi tou koitones and strategos
Reference Description
Aposachles (Abusahl) Senacherim, magistros, epi tou koitones and strategos, circa 1050-1075. Seal (Lead, 36 mm, 23.44 g, 12 h). +KЄ R,Θ - TⲰ CⲰ Δ,; in fields, Θ / Δ/I-M/I/TP, Saint Demetrios, nimbate and wearing himation, standing left, raising his hands in gesture of supplication towards the hand of God. Rev. +AΠOCAX / MAΓICTPO / ЄΠI T૪ KOI/TON, S CTPA/TIΓO TO CЄ/NAXЄP, in six lines; above and below, decorations. Unpublished. For a seal of Aposachles as proedros with the same obverse iconography, cf. W. Seibt: The Sons of Senek\'erim Yovhannēs, the Last King of Vaspurakan, as Byzantine Aristocrats, in: Revue des Études Arméniennes 37 (2016-2017), p. 123-124, fig. 3 and Leu 5 (2019), 583. An important new seal type for this Armenian prince and of the highest historical interest. Surface crack along the channel and minor breakage on the channel mouth, otherwise, good very fine.
From a European collection, acquired before 2021.
Aposachles, or Abusahl, was an Armenian prince and one of the sons of Senek\'erim Yovhannēs (Sennacherib-John), the last Artsruni King of the small kingdom of Vaspurakan, located to the south and southeast of lake Van. He was named after his grandfather, King Abusahl Hamazasp, who ruled in 958/9-968/9. In 1022, Abusahl\'s father, Yovhannēs, was forced to cede his kingdom to the Byzantine Empire after he made the unfortunate choice of joining the anti-Byzantine alliance of the Georgian King Georgi I (998/1002-1027). Although the king is not attested on seals, his wife Chususa and his sons David, Atom, Aposachles and Constantine all appear in the sigillographic record with Byzantine court titles, giving evidence of their elevated status in Byzantine aristocracy.
The family members of Aposachles only start mentioning civil and military titles on their seals after the battle of Manzikert. However, if we accept Werner Seibt\'s dating of Aposachles\' other seal types, this seal shows that Aposachles was already a strategos at an earlier date: the mentioned dignity of magistros is the lowest dignity known for the Armenian prince. Other seal types record his advancement to proedros, kouropalates and eventually nobellisimos, all without mention of military commands. Finally, this seal attests the court title of epi tou koitones (an official of the imperial bedchamber). This title is usually reserved for eunuchs, but for Aposachles it must have been a ceremonial honor instead. It should be noted that Gagik II, the former king of Ani, also received the dignity of epi tou koitonos, as attested on his seal (Cheynet/Theodoridis 6).
From a European collection, acquired before 2021.
Aposachles, or Abusahl, was an Armenian prince and one of the sons of Senek\'erim Yovhannēs (Sennacherib-John), the last Artsruni King of the small kingdom of Vaspurakan, located to the south and southeast of lake Van. He was named after his grandfather, King Abusahl Hamazasp, who ruled in 958/9-968/9. In 1022, Abusahl\'s father, Yovhannēs, was forced to cede his kingdom to the Byzantine Empire after he made the unfortunate choice of joining the anti-Byzantine alliance of the Georgian King Georgi I (998/1002-1027). Although the king is not attested on seals, his wife Chususa and his sons David, Atom, Aposachles and Constantine all appear in the sigillographic record with Byzantine court titles, giving evidence of their elevated status in Byzantine aristocracy.
The family members of Aposachles only start mentioning civil and military titles on their seals after the battle of Manzikert. However, if we accept Werner Seibt\'s dating of Aposachles\' other seal types, this seal shows that Aposachles was already a strategos at an earlier date: the mentioned dignity of magistros is the lowest dignity known for the Armenian prince. Other seal types record his advancement to proedros, kouropalates and eventually nobellisimos, all without mention of military commands. Finally, this seal attests the court title of epi tou koitones (an official of the imperial bedchamber). This title is usually reserved for eunuchs, but for Aposachles it must have been a ceremonial honor instead. It should be noted that Gagik II, the former king of Ani, also received the dignity of epi tou koitonos, as attested on his seal (Cheynet/Theodoridis 6).
Provenance
Leu Web 20 Lot 3140
15.07.2022
15.07.2022
Files
Collection
Citation
“Aposachles (Abusahl) Senacherim, magistros, epi tou koitones and strategos,” Armenian Numismatic Research Organization, accessed May 5, 2024, http://armnumres.org/items/show/1284.