Materials in Archaeology, History and Ethnography of Tauria Materials in Archaeology, History and Ethnography of Tauria Материалы по археологии, истории и этнографии Таврии 2413-189X 72860 10.29039/2413-189X.2023.28.510-518 ИСТОРИЯ HISTORY ИСТОРИЯ On the Seal of Byzantine Skribonos Excavated at Mangup-Doros. An Historical and Archaeological Commentary О печати византийского скрибона из раскопок Мангупа-Дороса. Историко-археологический комментарий Науменко В. Е. Naumenko Valerii E. Крымский Федеральный Университет им. В.И. Вернадского RU V.I. Vernadsky Crimean Federal University RU 26 12 2023 26 12 2023 510 518 26 12 2023 https://maiet.cfuv.ru/o-pechati-vizantijskogo-skribona-iz-raskopok-mangupa-dorosa-istoriko-arxeologicheskij-kommentarij/

В 2021 г. во время раскопок раннесредневековой улицы на месте Мангупского дворца был обнаружен ранневизантийский моливдовул с изображением орла на лицевой стороне и крестообразной монограммой из греческих букв на реверсе. Монограмма расшифровывается как Ἐλευθέριος, σκρίβονος, датировка печати – 550-650 гг. или, скорее, конец VI – первая половина VII в. Скрибоны – элитный отряд телохранителей византийских императоров, учрежденный при Юстиниане I (527–565) и просуществовавший в таком виде до середины VII в. Помимо функций дворцовой стражи и охраны покоев императоров в ночное время, они также выполняли множество разнообразных по содержанию личных поручений правителей Византийской империи, выступая в качестве их послов к вождям варварских народов, доверительных посланников к римским папам и высокопоставленным чиновникам, военных офицеров с особыми полномочиями в отдаленных и сложных регионах империи. Опубликованы множество печатей скрибонов – личных представителей византийских императоров, в том числе с изображениями орлов на их лицевой стороне и крестообразными монограммами на обороте. Считается, что скрибоны одновременно входили в штат или даже были высшими офицерами корпуса императорской гвардии экскувитов. После середины VII в. их положение становится принципиально иным. Как отряд императорских телохранителей они перестают существовать, а сам термин превращается в один из многочисленных почетных титулов. Еще позже, после реформы Константина V (741–775) по созданию военных тагм, скрибоны становятся командирами банд – подразделений тагмы экскувитов, и в таком качестве они присутствуют в источниках вплоть до Х в. Печати таких скрибонов-офицеров нам не известны. Опираясь на известные сведения из истории института скрибонов и анализ иконографии моливдовула из раскопок княжеского дворца на Мангупе, можно достаточно уверенно предполагать его владельцем скрибона Элеутерия, одного из телохранителей византийских императоров для конца VI – первой половины VII в. Как представляется, находка печати скрибона на Мангупском городище не является примером частной корреспонденции между чиновником императорского дворца в Константинополе и представителем местной византийской администрации на северных рубежах обороны империи. Скорее всего, речь идет об особой миссии, которая была возложена василевсом на своего посланника. Нам вряд ли когда-нибудь станет известным точное содержание этого поручения. Однако, эта находка еще раз свидетельствует о важности Мангупа-Дороса в византийской политике в регионе и пристальном личном внимании императоров за происходящими здесь событиями

In 2021, the excavations of an early mediaeval street on the site of the palace of Mangup discovered an early Byzantine lead seal featuring an eagle on the front side and a cross-shaped monogram of Greek letters on the back side. The monogram reads Ἐλευθέριος, σκρίβονος; the seal dates from 550–650 AD, most likely from the late sixth to the first half of the seventh centuries. Skribonoi (scriboni) formed an elite unit of bodyguards of the Byzantine emperors, established under Justinian I (527–565) and existed to the mid-seventh century. Additionally to the function of palace guards and protectors of the emperor’s chambers at night, they carried out varied personal assignments for the rulers of the Byzantine Empire, acting as their ambassadors to the leaders of barbarian peoples, confidential envoys to Roman popes and high-ranking officials, military officers with special powers in remote and difficult imperial areas. There are many seals of skribonoi as personal representatives of Byzantine emperors published, particularly those featuring an eagle on the face side and a cross-shaped monogram on the back side. It is considered that the skribonoi were also formed a part of the staff or were senior officers of the imperial guard corps, the exkoubitoi. After the mid-seventh century, their position became fundamentally different. They ceased to exist as a detachment of imperial bodyguards, and the term itself became one of many honorary titles. Later on, following the reform of Constantine V (741–775) creating military tagmata, skribonoi became the commanders of banda, or divisions, of the tagma of exkoubitoi, to continue this service as late as the tenth century. However, the seals of the said military officers skribonoi are not known so far. Taking the account in possession of the history of the institute of skribonoi and the analysis of the iconography of the lead seal excavated at the palace on Mangup princes into consideration, there are enough reasons to suppose that the seal’s owner was skribonos Eleutherios, a bodyguard of the Byzantine emperors in the late sixth and the first half of the seventh centuries. It seems that the find of the seal of skribonos at the Mangup is not a case of private correspondence between an official of the imperial Palace in Constantinople and a local Byzantine official defending the northern border of the empire. Most likely, it is the case of a special mission entrusted by the basileus to his envoy. The idea of this mission will probably remain obscure forever. Still, this find is another evidence of the importance of Mangup-Doros for the Byzantine politics in the region in question and the emperors’ close personal attention to the events in this area.

 Византийская империя Юго-Западный Крым Мангуп Дорос дворец скрибон сфрагистика печати моливдовулы Byzantine Empire south-western Crimea Mangup Doros palace skribonos sigillography seals molybdoboulla

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