Antonios proedros (metropolitan) of Tourkia, monk and synkellos (eleventh century)
Obverse
St. Demetrios standing frontally, holding spear, his left hand resting on shield set on the ground. Inscription in two columns: .|Δ|Η.Τ|Ρ|Ι|Ο|Σ : [ὁ ἅ(γιος)] Δη[μ(ή)]τριος. Border of dots.
Reverse
Inscription of six lines, decoration above. Border of dots.
σφργισ
ντνι
συγκ,λS
πρεδρ
τουρκι
Σ
σφραγὶς Ἀντωνίου (μον)αχ(οῦ), συγκ(έλ)λου [(καὶ)] πρωέδρου Τουρκίας
Obverse
St. Demetrios standing frontally, holding spear, his left hand resting on shield set on the ground. Inscription in two columns: .|Δ|Η.Τ|Ρ|Ι|Ο|Σ : [ὁ ἅ(γιος)] Δη[μ(ή)]τριος. Border of dots.
Reverse
Inscription of six lines, decoration above. Border of dots.
σφργισ
ντνι
συγκ,λS
πρεδρ
τουρκι
Σ
σφραγὶς Ἀντωνίου (μον)αχ(οῦ), συγκ(έλ)λου [(καὶ)] πρωέδρου Τουρκίας
| Accession number | BZS.1947.2.414 |
|---|---|
| Diameter | 26.0 mm; field: 19.0 mm |
| Previous Editions | DO Seals 1, no. 36.1. See also Laurent, Corpus V/1, no. 472; prior publications by Laurent, Recueil, 275-88, esp. 287 and Académie Roumaine. Bulletin de la Section Historique 23/2 (1943), 147-58, esp. 153 (correct reading). |
Translation
σφραγὶς Ἀντωνίου μοναχοῦ, συγκέλλου καὶ πρωέδρου Τουρκίας.
Seal of Antonios monachos, synkellos and metropolitan of Tourkia.
Bibliography
- Catalogue of the Byzantine Seals at Dumbarton Oaks and at the Fogg Museum of Art, Vol. 1: Italy, North of the Balkans, North of the Black Sea (Open in Zotero)
- Le Corpus des sceaux de l’empire byzantin (Open in Zotero)
- Notitiae Episcopatuum Ecclesiae Constantinopolitanae (Open in Zotero)
Commentary
Laurent was inclined to attribute this seal to the bishop of the Vardariotai Tourkoi (suffragan of Thessalonica, cf. DO Seals 1, § 26) and argued that the image of St. Demetrios on the obverse suggested some relationship with Thessalonica. But the name Τουρκία shows that Anthony's see must have been in Hungary. St. Demetrios was also the patron saint of Sirmium.
Tourkia is the middle Byzantine name of Hungary. Some Hungarians in the eastern part of the country received Christianity from Constantinople in 948 and again in 1002, and a metropolis of Tourkia was established. In the twelfth century, this was centered at Bács. In addition to the owner of this seal, we also know of a certain John metropolitan of Tourkia, who attended the patriarchal synod in 1028. Moreover, an otherwise unknown Greek metropolitan founded a monastery in Hungary, also during the first half of the eleventh century. On all this, see. N. Oikonomides, "Le métropolite de Turquie," RESEE 9 [1971], 527-533. The metropolis appears in only one notitia episcopatuum: Darrouzès, Notitiae, no. 13, line 803.