Corpus der byzantinischen Siegel mit metrischen Legenden Teil 1

Within Byzantine Sigillography the study and interpretation of metrical legends occupy a special place. Nearly all these legends are dodecasyllabic (a metron with twelve syllables). The earliest examples go back to the 8th century, while the latest ones survive to the 14th century. For the first time these legends are now compiled in a Corpus. Three volumes are planned. The first one, now published, contains legends starting with the letters alpha up to my , together with introductory chapters that explore questions of chronology, earliest examples, content and shape, and metrical problems. The seals are dated as narrowly as possible, depending if the author saw the original or at least a good photo. In addition there is helpful commentary concerning philology, history, prosopography and iconography. The material comes from worldwide public and private collections. The limiting factor was availability.