★ Johannes, a special servant and confidant of Zougaile, a name suggesting Turkish origin ★

Johannes, ho tou Zougaile (?), spatharokandidatos, 11th century. Seal (Lead, 27 mm, 9.46 g, 12 h). Θ / IⲰ...-Δ... Saint Johannes Prodromos (John the Baptist) standing facing, raising his right hand and holding long cross. Rev. KЄ BOH / IⲰANNH CΠA/KANΔIΔA(T)O.../...ζOVΓA/IΛЄ in five lines. Unpublished in the standard references. Some striking weakness in fields, otherwise, good very fine.

From a European collection, formed before 2005.

If our reading is correct, Johannes, who held the modest rank of spatharokandidatos, was a special servant and confidant of a person named Zougaile, a name suggesting Turkish origin. Alternatively, it is possible that Zougaile was his family name. A person named az-Zuġaylī is attested in the late 10th century; he became commander of Antioch after killing its Kurdish governor. In 969, when the city was recaptured by the Byzantines, az-Zuġaylī was in charge. Cheynet suggests that a seal in the Tatis collection (2.78) could be attributed to this individual, speculating that he may have defected to the Byzantines and been rewarded for his treason during the siege. If this is the case, our seal may refer to one of his descendants, who pursued their own careers within the Byzantine Empire.