Skip to Content

Nikephoros archbishop of Rhizaion (tenth century)

 
 

Obverse

Patriarchal cross on three steps, with fleurons rising to the lower crossbar. Circular inscription, beginning at seven o'clock. Border of dots.

....ηθιτ.........

[Κ(ύρι)ε βο]ήθι τ[ῷ σῷ δούλῳ]

Reverse

Inscription of five lines. Border of dots.

.νικ
.φορ
.ρχιεπ.
.κοπο.
ιζε..

Νικ[η]φόρῳ [ἀ]ρχιεπ[ισ]κόπο [Ῥ]ιζέ[ου]

Obverse

Patriarchal cross on three steps, with fleurons rising to the lower crossbar. Circular inscription, beginning at seven o'clock. Border of dots.

....ηθιτ.........

[Κ(ύρι)ε βο]ήθι τ[ῷ σῷ δούλῳ]

Reverse

Inscription of five lines. Border of dots.

.νικ
.φορ
.ρχιεπ.
.κοπο.
ιζε..

Νικ[η]φόρῳ [ἀ]ρχιεπ[ισ]κόπο [Ῥ]ιζέ[ου]

Accession number BZS.1951.31.5.1579
Diameter 22.0 mm
Previous Editions

DO Seals 4, no. 37.1. See also Laurent, Corpus V/1, no. 858.

Credit Line Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Bequest of Thomas Whittemore.

Translation

Κύριε βοήθι τῷ σῷ δούλῳ Νικηφόρῳ ἀρχιεπισκόπο Ῥιζέου.

Lord, help your servant Nikephoros, archbishop of Rhizaion.

Commentary

Now Rize, on the Black Sea coast east of Trebizond, Rhizaion has a complicated history. Initially it was a suffragan bishopric of Neokaisareia; it became an independent archbishopric in the early eighth century, but reverted to its former status as a suffragan of Neokaisareia shortly before 980. It was again elevated to the rank of archbishopric before becoming a metropolis. See Laurent, Corpus V/1, 363-64, 667; Bryer-Winfield, Pontos, 331-34. List of prelates in Fedalto, HEO I, 404.

Bibliography

  • Catalogue of Byzantine Seals at Dumbarton Oaks and in the Fogg Museum of Art, Vol. 4: The East (Open in Zotero)
  • Le Corpus des sceaux de l’empire byzantin (Open in Zotero)
  • The Byzantine Monuments and Topography of the Pontos (Open in Zotero)
  • Hierarchia Ecclesiastica Orientalis: Series episcoporum ecclesiarum christianarum orientalium (Open in Zotero)