Yezid 5

Prosopography of the Byzantine Empire
SexM
FloruitVIII
PmbZ No.2656
Variant NamesIezidos;
Iszid;
Iezid;
Iezith
ReligionChristian
EthnicityArab
TitlesBasilikos spatharios (dignity);
Hypatos (dignity);
Droungarios (office);
Komes of the basilikoi stabloi (office);
Tourmarches (office)
Seal SourcesLaurent, V., Le corpus des sceaux de l'empire byzatin, V, 1-3, L'église (Paris, 1963-72); II, L'administration centrale (Paris, 1981);
Schlumberger, G. Sigillographie de l'empire byzantin (Paris, 1884);
Sorlin-Dorigny, A., "Le bureau des barbares à Constantinople", Bulletin Critique, 5th year, no. 13 (1884);
Zacos, G. and Veglery, A., Byzantine Lead Seals, vol. I (in 3 parts) (Basel, 1972).

Yezid 5 was the owner of several seals, all dateable to the eighth century, which probably all belong to one and the same person; his name is spelt in various ways, viz.: Ἰέζηθ, Ἰέζιδ, and Ἰσζίδ. The name is presumably the Arabic name Yezid, and this person is apparently a Christian Arab who entered Byzantine military service. His career can be reconstructed from the hierarchy of titles and offices which he held. See Winkelmann, Quellenstudien, p. 101. With the dignity of basilikos spatharios he was first a droungarios, then a tourmarches, then komes of the basilikoi stauloi. Finally he added the higher dignity of hypatos to that of basilikos spatharios.

Basilikos spatharios and droungarios: Zacos and Veglery 1987a and b (two identical seals: the name and titles read: Ἰέζηθ βασιλικῷ σπαθαρίῳ καὶ δρουγγαρίῳ). Basilikos spatharios and tourmarches: Schlumberger, Sig., p. 453 (= Sorlin-Dorigny, "Le bureau des barbares", pp. 272-277). Obv: a circular legend, indecipherable but probably a verse from a psalm, with an invocative monogram of Κύριε βοήθει and the letters of the name Ἰέζιδ in the quarters. Rev.: ...[βασι] - λικῷ σπ[α] - θαρίῳ καὶ - τουρμά - ρχῃ+ . Basilikos spatharios and komes of the basilikoi stauloi: Zacos and Veglery 1986a and b = Laurent, Corpus II, no. 916 (two identical seals: the name and titles read: Ἰέζηθ βασιλικῷ σπαθαρίῳ καὶ κόμιτι τῶν βασιλικῶν σταύλων). Hypatos and basilikos spatharios: Zacos and Veglery 1984 (the name and titles read: Ἰέζηθ ὑπάτῳ καὶ βασιλικῷ σπαθαρίῳ), 1985a (the name and titles read: Ἰέζιδ ὑπάτῳ καὶ βασιλικῷ σπαθαρίῳ), 1985b and c (the name and titles read: Ἰσζίδ ὑπάτῳ καὶ βασιλικῷ σπαθαρίῳ).

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