Baasakios Beridares, magistros

Reference Description

The Armenian admiral Baasakios Beridares
Baasakios Beridares, magistros, 2nd half 11th century. Seal (Lead, 24 mm, 10.82 g, 12 h). Θ / N/I-K/O/Λ, Nimbate facing bust of Saint Nicholas, raising his right hand in benediction and holding a book of Gospels in his left hand. Rev. +KЄ R,Θ, / Tω Cω Δ૪, / RAAPCAKIω / MAΓICTPω / TO REPIΔA/PI ('Lord help your servant Baarsakios Beridares, magistros'). Apparently unpublished. Some scratches on the reverse, otherwise, nearly extremely fine.


The owner of this seal, Baasakios Beridares, whose name (Vasak) indicates an Armenian descent, can be identified with a person of the same name bearing the office of 'doux of the fleet' and the dignities of magistros and bestarches (Laurent, Corpus II 969). Two other seal attest his promotion to the rank of proedros and to 'grand doux of the fleet' (A.-K. Wassiliou and M. L. Zarnitz, "Fünf unedierte byzantinische Bleisiegel mit metrischen Legenden" in: Byzantinische Zeitschrift 92 [1999], p. 81). It is possible that Baasakios was active as a fleet commander in the time of Alexios I Komnenos' acsension to the throne (1081-1118), as was proposed by Sandrovskaja/Seibt in their comment on the seal of Baasakios' relative Leon Beridares (p. 67).

Provenance

Leu Web 10 Lot 1882
07.12.2019

Files

Leu Web 10 Lot 1882.jpg

Collection

Citation

“Baasakios Beridares, magistros,” Armenian Numismatic Research Organization, accessed December 26, 2024, https://armnumres.org/index.php/items/show/1243.