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Leo metropolitan of Sicily (tenth/eleventh century)

 
 

Obverse

Bust of saint blessing and holding a book. (Laurent identified him as St. Nicholas, but the lettering is too uncertain). Vertical inscription at left: Ο|Α|Γ.|.|. : ὁ ἅγ(ιος) ... . Traces of a circular inscription along the circumference. No visible border.

Κ(ύρι)ε [β(οή)θ(ει) τῷ σῷ δούλῳ]

Reverse

Inscription of five lines, decoration below. No visible border.

ΕΟ
ΙΕΛΑΧΙ
ΤΜΙΤΡΟ
..ΛΙΤΙΣΗ
ΚΕΛΙΑΣ

[Λ]έο[ντ]ι ἐλαχί[σ]τῳ μιτρο[πο]λίτι Σηκελίας

Obverse

Bust of saint blessing and holding a book. (Laurent identified him as St. Nicholas, but the lettering is too uncertain). Vertical inscription at left: Ο|Α|Γ.|.|. : ὁ ἅγ(ιος) ... . Traces of a circular inscription along the circumference. No visible border.

Κ(ύρι)ε [β(οή)θ(ει) τῷ σῷ δούλῳ]

Reverse

Inscription of five lines, decoration below. No visible border.

ΕΟ
ΙΕΛΑΧΙ
ΤΜΙΤΡΟ
..ΛΙΤΙΣΗ
ΚΕΛΙΑΣ

[Λ]έο[ντ]ι ἐλαχί[σ]τῳ μιτρο[πο]λίτι Σηκελίας

Accession number BZS.1951.31.5.1050
Diameter 21.0 mm
Previous Editions

DO Seals 1, no. 10.1; and Laurent, Corpus V/1, no. 888.

Translation

Κύριε βοήθει τῷ σῷ δούλῳ Λέοντι ἐλαχίστῳ μιτροπολίτι Σηκελίας.

Lord, help your servant Leo, most humble metropolitan of Sicily.

Commentary

Laurent dated this seal to the tenth century and attributed it to the metropolitan Leo attested in 926/7 (Falkenhausen, Dominazione, 103, no. 69). Yet the lettering of this seal points to a later date, around the turn of the eleventh century (cf. Dated Seals, nos. 56, 59, 60, 61, as opposed to nos. 70, 72, 73, etc.). Although the see of Syracuse never disappeared from the notitiae episcopatuum, it is possible that appointments to it were scarce (if not non-existent); but appointments to Sicilian sees were being made in spite of the Arab domination over the island: see, e.g., the last known metropolitan of Catania, Leo, who attended the synod in 997 (Falkenhausen, Dominazione, 161). One may wonder whether the Leo of our seal was identical to this metropolitan of Catania rather than an unknown metropolitan of Syracuse. But there is no evidence to support the hypothesis that the title of "metropolitan of Sicily" may have been used for any prelate other than the metropolitan of Syracuse.

Syracuse (modern Siracusa) is located in eastern Sicily. Initially seat of a bishop subordinate to Rome, it was attached to Constantinople in the eighth century and elevated by the patriarch to the rank of archbishopric, then of metropolis (of Sicily) around the year 800. See Laurent, Corpus V/1, 691.

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)
  • La dominazione bizantina nell’Italia meridionale dal IX al XI secolo (Open in Zotero)
  • A Collection of Dated Byzantine Lead Seals (Open in Zotero)