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John metropolitan of Thessalonica (ca. 1198)

 
 

Obverse

St. Demetrios standing, holding spear, his left hand resting on shield set on the ground. Inscription: |Δ|Η|Μ|ΗΤ|ΡΙ|Ο|Σ: Ὁ ἅγιος Δημήτριος. Circular inscription, beginning at 1 o'clock, between two borders of dots.

Α...ΔΗΜΗΤΡΙΕΚΑΙΑΓΙΑΘΕΟΤΟΚΕ

γιε Δημήτριε καὶ ἁγία Θεοτόκε

Reverse

The Virgin seated frontally on a high-backed throne holding Christ on her lap. Sigla: ̅ΘΥ̅ : Μήτηρ Θεοῦ. Circular inscription, beginning at 12 o'clock, between two borders of dots.

ΟΗΘΕΙΤΕΙΜΗΤΡΟΠΟΛΙΤΗΘΕΣ......ΚΗΣ

βοηθεῖτε Ἰωάννῃ μητροπολίτῃ Θεσσαλονίκης

Obverse

St. Demetrios standing, holding spear, his left hand resting on shield set on the ground. Inscription: |Δ|Η|Μ|ΗΤ|ΡΙ|Ο|Σ: Ὁ ἅγιος Δημήτριος. Circular inscription, beginning at 1 o'clock, between two borders of dots.

Α...ΔΗΜΗΤΡΙΕΚΑΙΑΓΙΑΘΕΟΤΟΚΕ

γιε Δημήτριε καὶ ἁγία Θεοτόκε

Reverse

The Virgin seated frontally on a high-backed throne holding Christ on her lap. Sigla: ̅ΘΥ̅ : Μήτηρ Θεοῦ. Circular inscription, beginning at 12 o'clock, between two borders of dots.

ΟΗΘΕΙΤΕΙΜΗΤΡΟΠΟΛΙΤΗΘΕΣ......ΚΗΣ

βοηθεῖτε Ἰωάννῃ μητροπολίτῃ Θεσσαλονίκης

Accession number BZS.1958.106.10
Diameter 43.0 mm; field: 39.0 mm
Previous Editions

DO Seals 1, no. 18.85.
Laurent, Corpus V/1, no. 463.
Oikonomides, Dated Seals, no. 129.

Translation

Ἅγιε Δημήτριε καὶ ἁγία Θεοτόκε βοηθεῖτε Ἰωάννῃ μητροπολίτῃ Θεσσαλονίκης.

St. Demetrios and Holy Theotokos, help John metropolitan of Thessalonica.

Commentary

Only one prelate named John is known to have occupied the throne of Thessalonica after the tenth century. He succeeded Eustathios of Thessalonica in 1195/6; his tenure presents problems as it may have been interrupted for some months in 1198. See the discussion by Laurent.

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)
  • A Collection of Dated Byzantine Lead Seals (Open in Zotero)
  • Byzantine Lead Seals, Vol. 2 (Open in Zotero)
  • Byzantine Lead Seals, Vol. 1 (Open in Zotero)
  • Silk Trade and Production in Byzantium from the Sixth to the Ninth Century: The Seals of Kommerkiarioi (Open in Zotero)
  • Les listes de préséance byzantines des IXe et Xe siècles (Open in Zotero)
  • Byzantinische Bleisiegel in Berlin (West) (Open in Zotero)
  • Le kommerkion d’Abydos, Thessalonique et le commerce bulgare du 9e siècle (Open in Zotero)
  • Recherches sur les douanes à Byzance: L’octava, le "kommerkion" et les commerciares (Open in Zotero)
  • Byzantinische Rang- und Ämterstruktur im 8. und 9. Jahrhundert: Faktoren und Tendenzen ihrer Entwicklung (Open in Zotero)
  • Les plus anciens recueils des miracles de Saint Démétrius et la pénétration des Slaves dans les Balkans (Open in Zotero)
  • L’éparque de Thessalonique: les origines d'une institution administrative (VIIIe-IXe siècles) (Open in Zotero)