Eusthatios, vestes and praitor of the Armenian Themes

Eusthatios, vestes and praitor of the Armenian Themes
Eusthatios, vestes and praitor of the Armenian Themes, 11th century. Seal (Lead, 29 mm, 19.99 g, 12 h). KЄ R,Θ, / Tω Cω Δ૪ / EVCTAΘI[ω] / [R]ЄCTH [S] in four lines, decorations above and below. Rev. ΠPAI/[T]ωPI TωN / [A]RMЄNIK, / [Θ]ЄMATωN in four lines, decorations above and below. Unpublished in the standard references. Very fine.


The Armenian Themes, not to be confused with the Armeniakon theme in northern Asia Minor, comprised a network of several small regions along the eastern border of the empire, mostly fortresses with their hinterland. These districts were under the command of tourmarchai and minor strategoi, and in the 11th century, we even find a general strategos of all the \'Armenian Themes\'. Most of the seals belonging to fiscal officials, judges and bureaucrats serving in the Armenian Themes belong to this period.

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29.05.2020