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Nikephoros Melissenos (despotes: late 1080–early 1081 or April 1081–November 1104)

 
 

Obverse

Bust of the Virgin wearing a chiton and maphorion and holding a medallion of Christ before her. Sigla to left and right: ̅ΘΥ̅ : Μ(ήτη)ρ Θ(εο)ῦ. Circular inscription, beginning at 9:30. Border of dots.

ΘΚΕΟΗΘΕΙ

Θ(εοτό)κε βοήθει

Reverse

Half-length representation of Nikephoros with a mustache, beard, and curly hair; he wears a hat with a jeweled band shaped like an upside-down pot and is dressed in a chlamys. He holds a globus cruciger in his right hand, with his left seemingly held under his chlamys. Circular inscription beginning at 10 o’clock. Border of dots.

ΝΙΚΗΦΟΡ,ΔΕΣΠΟΤ,ΤΟΜΕ

Νικηφόρ(ῳ) δεσπότ(ῃ) το Με(λισηνῷ).

Obverse

Bust of the Virgin wearing a chiton and maphorion and holding a medallion of Christ before her. Sigla to left and right: ̅ΘΥ̅ : Μ(ήτη)ρ Θ(εο)ῦ. Circular inscription, beginning at 9:30. Border of dots.

ΘΚΕΟΗΘΕΙ

Θ(εοτό)κε βοήθει

Reverse

Half-length representation of Nikephoros with a mustache, beard, and curly hair; he wears a hat with a jeweled band shaped like an upside-down pot and is dressed in a chlamys. He holds a globus cruciger in his right hand, with his left seemingly held under his chlamys. Circular inscription beginning at 10 o’clock. Border of dots.

ΝΙΚΗΦΟΡ,ΔΕΣΠΟΤ,ΤΟΜΕ

Νικηφόρ(ῳ) δεσπότ(ῃ) το Με(λισηνῷ).

Accession number BZS.1958.106.651
Diameter 26.0 mm; field: 19.0 mm
Previous Editions

DO Seals 6, no. 87.1; Zacos–Veglery, no. 2699d.

Translation

Θεοτόκε βοήθει Νικηφόρῳ δεσπότῃ το Μελισηνῷ.

Mother of God, help Nikephoros Melissenos, despotes.

Commentary

Nikephoros revolted against the rule of Nikephoros III Botaneiates, and at Nicaea in late 1080 he assumed the title of emperor. His revolt ended when he reached agreement with Alexios Komnenos on 4 April 1081, that he would abandon his claim to the throne in exchange for the title of caesar and for the receipt of certain revenues. He died in November of 1104. For the sources and a brief discussion of Nikephoros’s revolt see Cheynet, Pouvoir, no. 111. In addition to despotes, the surviving seals for Melissenos include the titles autokrator and caesar; the latter belongs to the period after he signed the truce with Alexios Komnenos (BZS.1958.106.649).

There are two options for dating. While the seal includes the title despotes, adopted during his attempted usurpation of the throne, and present on his two-thirds miliaresion (BNC 2:58/S/AR/01 [p. 92]), he does not wear a crown and is in the regalia of a caesar. Therefore, Zacos and Veglery (no. 2699) have argued that this group of seals belongs to the period after the accommodation with Alexios I.

Zacos's and Veglery's assertion that Nikephoros has “a bald head” is incorrect.

Bibliography

  • Catalogue of Byzantine Seals at Dumbarton Oaks and in the Fogg Museum of Art, Vol. 6, Emperors, Patriarchs of Constantinople, Addenda (Open in Zotero)
  • Byzantine Lead Seals, Vol. 1 (Open in Zotero)
  • Pouvoir et contestations à Byzance, 963–1210 (Open in Zotero)
  • Catalogue des monnaies byzantines de la Bibliothèque nationale (Open in Zotero)