Michael archbishop of Kios (twelfth century)
| Accession number | BZS.1958.106.54 |
|---|---|
| Diameter | 30 mm |
| Field diameter | 20 mm |
| Condition | Partially corroded on upper left side (obverse) and cracked along channel (reverse). |
| Previous Editions | DO Seals 3, no. 50.5. Laurent, Corpus V/1, no. 835. |
Obverse
St. Michael standing, dressed in imperial garb, and holding a labarum in his right hand and a globus in his left hand. Inscription visible at right side: ΑΡ : [Μιχαήλ] ἀρχ(άγγελος). Border of dots.
Reverse
Inscription of three lines, decoration below. Border of dots.
Μ̅ΗΑρ
επισκ
πκι
– · –
Μηχ(αὴλ) ἀρχ(ι)επισκώπου Κίου
Translation
Μηχαὴλ ἀρχιεπισκώπου Κίου.
Michael, archbishop of Kios.
| Accession number | BZS.1958.106.54 |
|---|---|
| Diameter | 30 mm |
| Field diameter | 20 mm |
| Condition | Partially corroded on upper left side (obverse) and cracked along channel (reverse). |
| Previous Editions | DO Seals 3, no. 50.5. Laurent, Corpus V/1, no. 835. |
Commentary
For some reason Laurent assigned this specimen to the later tenth or early eleventh century, but it undoubtedly dates from the twelfth. We are inclined to assign it to the second half of the century on the basis of the ου ligature occurring twice on line three of the reverse (see Dated Seals, 163) and attribute it to Archbishop Michael who was active in the 1160s and 1170s (references in Laurent, Corpus V/3, 649).
Kios (modern Gemlik) is located in a gulf on the sea of Marmara; it was a place of concentration of agricultural produce. It is attested as a see as early as the Council of Nicaea (325) and is listed as an archbishopric in all notitiae until the fourteenth century. See Laurent, Corpus V/1, 648; Zgusta, 266-67.