Konstantinos, imperial protospatharios and megas hetairiarches. Byzantine lead seal (24mm, 6.22 gram) 10th century
[KE ROHΘ T]W CW ΔOVΛW; patriarchal cross with floral ornaments springing from base
+[K]WNC|TANTIN[W] | R’A’CΠA[Θ’ S] | MEΓAΛ, [ET]|EPIAPX’ in five lines
Some breakage along the channel, otherwise good VF
Ex Rome on the Euphrates collection, purchased from Steve Album in the 1990’s.
The hetaireiarches was the commander of a hetaireia, an imperial bodyguard regiment whose members were usually recruited among foreigners. By the time of Leo VI (886-912), there were three different hetaireiai: the great (megalè), the middle (mesè), and the third (tritè).