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Leo bishop of Neapolis (eleventh century)

 
 

Obverse

The Virgin seated on a backless throne holding Christ on her lap. On either side the sigla: ΘΥ: Μήτηρ Θεοῦ. Within a border of dots, a circular inscription: ΝΕΑΠ,ΛΙΤΙΣΑ: ἡ Νεαπολίτισα.

Reverse

Inscription of five lines, a decoration above, the last line between two pellets. Border of dots.


ΣΦΡΑΓ,
ΛΕΟΝΤΟΣ
ΕΠ,ΣΚΟΠ
ΝΕΑΠ.
ΛΕ

Σφραγὶς Λέοντος ἐπισκόπου Νεαπόλεως

Obverse

The Virgin seated on a backless throne holding Christ on her lap. On either side the sigla: ΘΥ: Μήτηρ Θεοῦ. Within a border of dots, a circular inscription: ΝΕΑΠ,ΛΙΤΙΣΑ: ἡ Νεαπολίτισα.

Reverse

Inscription of five lines, a decoration above, the last line between two pellets. Border of dots.


ΣΦΡΑΓ,
ΛΕΟΝΤΟΣ
ΕΠ,ΣΚΟΠ
ΝΕΑΠ.
ΛΕ

Σφραγὶς Λέοντος ἐπισκόπου Νεαπόλεως

Accession number BZS.1955.1.5067
Diameter 23.0 mm; field: 16.0 mm
Previous Editions

DO Seals 3, no. 106.1.

Translation

Σφραγὶς Λέοντος ἐπισκόπου Νεαπόλεως.

Seal of Leo bishop of Neapolis.

Commentary

The Virgin depicted on the obverse clearly reproduces the main icon of the metropolitan church of Neapolis. More the pity that we cannot assign this specimen to a specific see.

Three were two Byzantine bishoprics named Neapolis, one suffragan of Stauroupolis in Karia, the other, situated in Isauria, a suffragan of Seleukeia of Pamphylia. Cf. Darrouzès, Notitiae, no. 1, line 294; no. 3, line 526; no. 13, lines 309, 507. The first has been identified with modern Ineboli, east of the lower Harpasos (RE 16, 2126); the second is sought at the ruins to the east of Günneyyurt, 8 km southwest of Ermenek (F. Hild - H. Hellenkemper, Kilikien und Isaurien [TIB 5] I [Vienna, 1990], 365).

Bibliography

  • Catalogue of Byzantine Seals at Dumbarton Oaks and at the Fogg Museum of Art, Vol. 3: West, Northwest, and Central Asia Minor and the Orient (Open in Zotero)
  • Notitiae Episcopatuum Ecclesiae Constantinopolitanae (Open in Zotero)
  • Kilikien und Isaurien (Open in Zotero)