Basileios Tzirithon, vestes and megas oikonomos of the charitable foundations of the West

Basileios Tzirithon, vestes and megas oikonomos of the charitable foundations of the West, 2nd half 11th century. Seal (Lead, 26 mm, 11.37 g, 11 h). …ЄIⲰ RЄCTH S MЄΓAΛⲰ O[KONOMⲰ]; the Mother of God “Blachernitissa”, nimbate, raising both hands in prayer; in fields, MHP - ΘV. Rev. [TⲰN ЄVAΓⲰN] OIKⲰN THC ΔVCЄⲰC [TⲰ TZIPIΘⲰNI]; in fields, M/I-X/A Michael standing facing, holding long sceptre and globe. P. Charalampakis: A Contribution to Byzantine prosopography 2. The Tzirithon family, in: Βυζαντινά Σύμμεικτα 28 (2018), pp. 49-82, no. 8a. Stavrakos, Athens p. 381. Struck off center, otherwise, very fine.


The Tzirithon family name indicates a non-Greek origin. An Armenian origin has been proposed, as well as Turkic roots, depending on the favored etymological interpretation of the name. Family members are known from narrative sources and seals from the early 10th to 13th century. In his prosopographical study of the Tzirithones, P. Charalampakis distinguishes several persons named Basileios. He attributes two parallel examples of this seal to a Basileios Tzirithon active in the civil aristocracy during the 2nd half of the 11th century. This Basileios is known from several seals listing high court dignities and important financial and fiscal offices. In a subsequent post as protoproedros, Basileios was dikaiophylax and exisotes of the West. As such, he is also mentioned in a chrysobull (decree) of Alexios Komnenos.

Leu Web 17 Lot 3296
13.08.2021