I am announcing my website on Byzantine coin legends: http://augustuscoins.com/ed/Byz/legends.html It is possible to collect Byzantine coins by emperor and type without knowing what their legends say. The site is intended to enable collectors to understand and translate the legends. It has typical examples at the beginning like this one: Sear 1729. Leo VI, "The Wise" 886-912. 27 mm. 7.96 grams. Very common. Obverse, clockwise from 8:00: +LЄOҺ bAS-ILЄVS ROM' Leo, emperor of the Romans [Byzantines] Reverse in four lines: +LЄOҺ Leo ЄҺ ΘЄO BA "by the grace of God" ["in God'] SILЄVS R emperor of the Romans [Byzantines] OMЄOҺ (the "Һ" is an "N") It has sections on numerals/numbers, the Greek alphabet, abbreviations and words, emperor's names, mints, monograms, and many examples in order of Sear number. I intend the page to be easy to navigate. There are very many internal links and most legends are linked to images of coins with those legends. It is primarily aimed at copper coins. Unusual legends on rare gold and silver coins have been omitted. This is the first announced version of the web site. Web sites are easy to correct and supplement. If you have suggestions for corrections or supplements, please contact me at the email address on the site. Again, the URL is: http://augustuscoins.com/ed/Byz/legends.html
Hi @Valentinian, This would be “by the grace of God King” [BA = abbreviation for BASILEVS = king. Excellent site. - Broucheion
@Valentinian - Thanks! As one who collects Byzzies but does not specialize in them, this new section of your website will be a wonderfully helpful addition!
Who was the first Roman Emperor for whom the word BASILEVS was used in any form of Greek inscription? We usually use emperor to mean Augustus (the title, not the man), Sebastos and Emperor but the obviously related Imperator is hard to justify (no where near as exclusive a club). Romans avoided Rex like the plague but the concept of a ruler who could not be questioned was easier for them to accept. I do wonder how many people got in trouble using the wrong word at the wrong time. I believe we need not get nitpicky on the distinction. King and emperor was a job from which few retired and lived to tell about it.
In 355 AD, the Caesar Julian delivered a panegyric in honor of his kinsman and emperor Constantius II. Although I often don't remember what I did yesterday, I DID remember from having read this fifty years ago that the word Βασιλευς appears in the first line! I am not suggesting that this is the earliest instance of its use. To do that, one would need to research the inscriptional corpora such as the huge "Inscriptiones Graecae" set. Πάλαι με προθυμούμενον, ὦ μέγιστε βασιλεῦ, τὴν σὴν ἀρετὴν καὶ πράξεις ὑμνῆσαι καὶ τοὺς πολέμους ἀπαριθμήσασθαι, καὶ τὰς τυραννίδας ὅπως ἀνῄρηκας, τῆς μὲν λόγῳ καὶ πειθοῖ τοὺς δορυφόρους ἀποστήσας, τῆς δὲ τοῖς ὅπλοις κρατήσας, τὸ μέγεθος εἶργε τῶν πράξεων, οὐ τὸ βραχὺ λειφθῆναι τῷ λόγῳ τῶν ἔργων δεινὸν κρίνοντα, ἀλλὰ τὸ παντελῶς τῆς ὑποθέσεως διαμαρτεῖν δόξαι. I have long desired, most mighty Emperor, to sing the praises of your valour and achievements, to recount your campaigns, and to tell how you suppressed the tyrannies; how your persuasive eloquence drew away one usurper’s bodyguard [Vetranio]; how you overcame another [Magnentius] by force of arms. But the vast scale of your exploits deterred me, because what I had to dread was not that my words would fall somewhat short of your achievements, but that I should prove wholly unequal to my theme.
Fantastic website, @Valentinian. A serious public service. Not least for the timing, with interest in Byzantines still mushrooming.
