Michael Italikos, metropolitan of Philippoupolis (twelfth century)
Obverse
Inscription of five lines. Indeterminate border.
ΠΟΛΙΣ
ΦΙΛΙΠΠΟΥ
.ΡΕΑΤΟ.
ΑΠΟ.
ΛΩ.
Πόλις Φιλίππου, θρέμματος ἀποστόλων
Reverse
Inscription of four lines, decoration below. Border of dots.
ΕΧΕΙΣ
ΤΡΟΦΟΕ
μιχαηλι
ταλοθε.
ἔχεις τροφόν με Μιχαὴλ Ἰταλόθεν
Obverse
Inscription of five lines. Indeterminate border.
ΠΟΛΙΣ
ΦΙΛΙΠΠΟΥ
.ΡΕΑΤΟ.
ΑΠΟ.
ΛΩ.
Πόλις Φιλίππου, θρέμματος ἀποστόλων
Reverse
Inscription of four lines, decoration below. Border of dots.
ΕΧΕΙΣ
ΤΡΟΦΟΕ
μιχαηλι
ταλοθε.
ἔχεις τροφόν με Μιχαὴλ Ἰταλόθεν
| Accession number | BZS.1955.1.4980 |
|---|---|
| Diameter | 28.0 mm |
| Previous Editions | DO Seals 1, no. 68.2. |
Translation
Πόλις Φιλίππου, θρέμματος ἀποστόλων, ἔχεις τροφόν με Μιχαὴλ Ἰταλόθεν.
City of Philip, nursling of the apostles, you have me, Michael, son of Italy, to nourish you.
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)
- Byzantine Lead Seals, Vol. 2 (Open in Zotero)
- Μελέται περὶ τῆς διοικητικῆς διαιρέσεως καὶ τῆς ἐπαρχιακῆς διοικήσεως ἐν τῷ βυζαντινῷ κράτει (Open in Zotero)
- La région des Rhodopes aux XIIIe et XIVe siècles: étude de géographie historique (Open in Zotero)
- Synaxarium Ecclesiae Constantinopolitanae, Propylaeum ad AASS Novembris (Open in Zotero)
- Michel Italikos, Lettres et discours (Open in Zotero)
- Corpus der byzantinischen Siegel mit metrischen Legenden, Vol. 2, Siegellegenden von Ny bis inklusive Sphragis (Open in Zotero)
Commentary
The inscription consists of two twelve-syllable verses. Laurent incorrectly read the reverse inscription ἔχεις προτον με Μιχαὴλ Ἰταλόθεν.
Philip the "creature" or "nursling" of the Apostles is undoubtedly Philip the deacon, known from the Acts of the Apostles; his memory is celebrated by the Church on 11 October (Syn. Eccl. CP 129, 9). It seems that (the metropolitan church of) Philippoupolis was dedicated to this saint. Note also the play on the words of θρέμμα-τροφός (reflected in the translation as "nurseling-nurse"), the latter probably indicating that Michael, being the bishop was in charge of providing nourishment, presumably spiritual, to his flock. Michael Italikos, Constantinopolitan rhetor, was appointed to the see of Philippoupolis before 1143, when the Second Crusade went by, and was replaced before May 1157: Michel Italikos, Lettres et discours, ed. P. Gautier (Paris, 1972) 26-28.
Modern Plovdiv, Bulgaria. Philippoupolis, so named already in the second century B.C. after Philip II of Macedonia, also had Philip the Deacon as its patron saint (cf. DO Seals 1, no. 68.2). From the fourth century on, it was an important administrative center and ecclesiastical metropolis. See Zakythinos, Mélétai 18 (1948) 60-61; Laurent, Corpus V/1, 518-19; Asdracha, Rhodopes, passim, esp. 154-62.