The monastery of Tripolis (eleventh century)
Obverse
Bust of St. Michael holding a scepter in his right hand and a globus cruciger in his left. Inscription: μ|ιχ|α : Μιχα(ήλ). Border of dots.
Reverse
Inscription of four lines, a decoration above. Final letter between two horizontal bars. Border of dots.
μον
ιστρη
πολεο
σ
Μονῖς Τρηπόλεος
Obverse
Bust of St. Michael holding a scepter in his right hand and a globus cruciger in his left. Inscription: μ|ιχ|α : Μιχα(ήλ). Border of dots.
Reverse
Inscription of four lines, a decoration above. Final letter between two horizontal bars. Border of dots.
μον
ιστρη
πολεο
σ
Μονῖς Τρηπόλεος
| Accession number | BZS.1958.106.5450 |
|---|---|
| Diameter | 25.0 mm; field: 17.0 mm |
| Previous Editions | DO Seals 5 no. 92.1; Laurent, Corpus 5.3: no. 1945. |
Translation
Μονῖς Τρηπόλεος.
(Seal of the) monastery of Tripolis.
Bibliography
- Catalogue of Byzantine Seals at Dumbarton Oaks and in the Fogg Museum of Art, Volume 5: The East (continued), Constantinople and Environs, Unknown Locations, Addenda, Uncertain Readings (Open in Zotero)
- Le Corpus des sceaux de l’empire byzantin (Open in Zotero)
Commentary
Traces of a first strike are visible around the border, especially on the reverse, where O | V | C may be seen on the left side, H | Δ on the other. Restoration of the inscription made by the first strike is not possible.
At present there is no compelling reason to place this seal with any of approximately a dozen well-known localities called "Tripolis." Laurent placed it under Lydia because of the prominence of the Maeander Valley from the tenth to the fourteenth centuries.