Watch List notes:

Aspietes Pakourianos, protonobellisimos, late 11th-early 12th century. Seal (Lead, 27 mm, 12.79 g, 6 h). O AΓIOC ΓEⲰPΓIOC Saint George, standing facing, nimbate, holding spear in his right hand, and resting left hand on a shield. Rev. +KЄ R,Θ, / ACΠIЄTH A/N૪RЄΛHCI/MO TⲰ ΠAK૪/PIANⲰ in five lines, decorations above and below. Apparently unpublished, but a parallel example in the Zarnitz collection cited by Jordanov, Corpus II p. 317. An extremely rare seal of a famous Armenian general. Some flatness and a surface crack along the channel on the reverse, otherwise, very fine.


This seal belongs to the famous Armenian general Aspietes mentioned by Anna Komnene, who reports that he was proud of his Arsacid descent. Aspietes fought against the Normans of Robert Guiscard at the battle of Dyrrachion in 1081, where he was badly wounded. Later, he became governor of Tarsos and stratopedarches of the East. In this capacity he campaigned unsuccessfully against the Principality of Antioch under the command of Tancred.