On the Toponymy and Prosopography of Some Minor Military-Administrative Districts in Byzantium: Kas(s)e, *Vindaion, Mauron Oros
This paper presents three (unpublished or simply mentioned but not fully published) lead seals, currently kept at the Staatliche Münzsammlung in Munich, issued by Byzantine officials who served in small military-administrative districts located in present-day Turkey: Kas(s)e (mod. Bağyurdu) in northern Kappadokia, *Vindaion or *Vindaios (mod. Küçük Gökçeli) in Pisidia, and Mauron Oros (mod. Bakras Kalesi) in the Hatay area. In the author’s opinion, these districts had, most probably, a purely military function and should not, thus, be labeled as themes. The paper offers also a brief commentary on the etymology of these place names and on the locations.
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