Watch List notes:

Artavasdos, strategos of Anatolikon, late 8th century-early 9th century. Seal (Lead, 23 mm, 10.00 g, 12 h). Large cruciform monogram of ΘЄOTOKЄ BOHΘH; in quadrants, [T]Ⲱ - C[Ⲱ] / Δ૪-ΛⲰ ("Mother of God, help your servant"). Rev. [+APTAV/AC]ΔO CT[P/A] TWN AN/[A]TOΛIK, in four lines. Dumbarton Oaks, BZS.1951.31.5.2408 (dated to the 9th century). Zacos/Veglery 1745 (dated late 8th century). Struck on a short blank, as is typical for this seal type, otherwise, good very fine.


Zacos and Veglery attribute this seal type to a strategos of Anatolikon during the reign of Leo IV. Artavasdos, whose name reveals his Armenian descent, is mentioned by Theophanes (451, for the year 777/778) as one of the commanders of a Byzantine campaign against Arab forces in Syria. Armies from the Anatolikon, Thrakesion, Armeniakon and Opsikion themes were deployed. The Byzantines would have captured the city of Germanikeia, the historian says, but the strategos of Armeniakon was bribed by the Arabs not to proceed. The parallel examples in Dumbarton Oaks are dated to the ninth century by their editors on the basis of style, and they attribute the seal type to an otherwise unknown strategos of Anatolikon in the 9th century.