Early Byzantine Officials in the Southwestern Taurica According to the Seals from Cherson and Its Environ

Abstract

Introduction. Written sources and epigraphic monuments reflecting the history of Early Byzantine Cherson keep a few isolated accounts of some representatives of a large imperial administrative apparatus, which certainly existed in the city from the late 5th to the 8th century (komes, bikarios, doux, and archon). Methods. Sigillographic monuments supply some extra information of the stratum of local officials in the period under consideration. The set of seals of Chersonites and their addressees from the early Byzantine period allows to uncover a variety of correspondents from military and civil departments (magistros, stratelates, droungarios, kommerkiarios, notarios, magistrianos, arkarios, hermeneutes, and others). In my point of view, these sources indicate parallel local officials who worked in Cherson and its environs, show that the city established appropriate bureaucratic offices, and inform of its rather high status as an important strategic, administrative, and economic stronghold. Analysis. Today it is possible to enlarge this group with several new seals from the 6th to the 8th century, partially originating from the vicinity of Cherson. There are molybdoboulla of asekretis, referendarios, chartoularios, genikos kommerkiarios, komes and senator – illoustrios. Results. This way, the early Byzantine seals of Cherson and its neighbourhood supply reasons to consider that, from the 6th to the 8th century, this provincial centre got a number of various magistracies to control different aspects of the city life, from common records management to land register, foreign trade, and diplomatic missions sent by the basileus.