CHAPTER 9 in the Following Pages, I Provide Seals of Some of the Heirs Of

CHAPTER 9 Seals

In the following pages, I provide seals of some of the heirs of John Vladislav as published and interpreted by Ivan Iordanov. Some of them have been previ- ously published, while others are published for the first time. I have relied pri- marily on Ivan Iordanov’s article, “Pechati na potomcite na car Ivan Vladislav (1016–1018) văv Vizantia,” Arkheologiia 38 (1996), no. 4, pp. 7–22, as well as on his later study, Korpus na pechatite v srednovekovna Bălgariia (Sofia, 2001), pp. 176–199.

1 Presian-Prusian

This is the eldest son of John Vladislav, who, in 1018, received the title magis- tros. He participated in various conspiracies, later on he was blinded and exiled to a monastery. After 103 years, his name is not mentioned any more. A seal of a certain Prasian (according to another reading, Luka Presian) is known, which is dated to the late 11th century. However, it is not sure that the seal is connected to his monastery.

Seal of the monastery of Prasian

Commentary: Referring to his previous publications, Ivan Iordanov raises doubts about the relation of the person mentioned on the seal and the eldest son of John Vladislav. However, according to Vitalien Laurent, “Princes bulgares dans la sigillographie byzantine,” Echos d’Orient 33 (1934), 432–33, the seal belonged to one of the sons of Alusian, the son of John Vladislav.

2 Alusian

1 Basil Alusian

Lord, help Basil Alusian, vestarch and strategos. Lord, help Basil Alusian, proedros and duke.

Commentary: Iordanov, “Pechati na potomcite,” pp. 9–10 believes this this person to be the same as that mentioned under the same name by Matthew of Edessa, an au- thor from the second half of the 11th century, whose work may be found above.

2 Samuel Alusian

Lord, help your servant Samuel Alusian, vestarch and strategos (dated to the 1060s and 1070s). Lord, help your servant Samuel Alusian, vestarch and duke of Edessa (dated to the 1060s and 1070s). Mother of God, help Samuel Alusian, proedros and duke (dated to the 1070s).

Commentary: According to Iordanov, there is another seal, which besides “Samuel,” also has “Basil,” in other words, has a double reading.

Mother of God, help Samuel Alusian, proedros and duke. Mother of God, help your servant Samuel Alusian, proedros and duke.

Commentary: Samuel Alusian was a brother of Empress Catherine and one of the sons of John Vladislav. Iordanov, “Pechatite na potomcite,” p. 10 and Korpus, pp. 47–48, notes that Basil and Samuel had similar careers, which, of course does not exclude the possibility of some other Alusian being duke of Edessa, given that there are certain differences in the images on the seals.

3 Constantine Alusian

Lord, help the vestarches Constantine Alusian (dated to the 1060s and 1070s).

Commentary: Iordanov could not find any parallels to the seal of Constantine Alusian.

4 Elpidiphoros Alusian

Lord, help your servant Elpidiphoros Alusian, kouropalates (late 11th to early 12th century).