Skip to Content

Jacob metropolitan of Kyzikos (ninth century)

 
 

Obverse

Cruciform Invocative monogram (type V). In the quarters: .Σ|ΔΛ

Θεοτόκε βοήθει [τ]ῷ σῷ δούλῳ

Reverse

Inscription of four lines. No border visible.

ΙΑΚ
.ΜΗΤΡΟ
ΠΟΛΗΤ /ΚΥ

ΖΙΚΟΥ

Ἰακώ[β]ῳ μητροπολήτ(ῃ) Κυζίκου.

Obverse

Cruciform Invocative monogram (type V). In the quarters: .Σ|ΔΛ

Θεοτόκε βοήθει [τ]ῷ σῷ δούλῳ

Reverse

Inscription of four lines. No border visible.

ΙΑΚ
.ΜΗΤΡΟ
ΠΟΛΗΤ /ΚΥ

ΖΙΚΟΥ

Ἰακώ[β]ῳ μητροπολήτ(ῃ) Κυζίκου.

Accession number BZS.1955.1.4808
Diameter 28.0 mm
Previous Editions

DO Seals 3, no. 50.3.
Laurent, Corpus V/3, no. 1704.
Zacos-Veglery, no. 1994.

Translation

Θεοτόκε βοήθει τῷ σῷ δούλῳ Ἰακώβῳ μητροπολήτῃ Κυζίκου.

Mother God, help your servant Jacob, metropolitan of Kyzikos.

Commentary

The specimen dates before the middle of the ninth century, as indicated by the wreath border present on the obverse, the use of a double loop beta at bottom of the invocative monogram, and the endings of the oblique bars of Κ.

Kyzikos (modern Balkız) was originally a bishopric of the eparchia of Asia, but in the second half of the IVth century it became the metropolis of the Hellespont. It is listed in all the notitiae until the XVth century. In 688-689 Cypriots were brought to inhabit the peninsula together with their archbishop (cf. DOSeals 2.38). See Laurent, Corpus, V/1, 246-47; Zgusta, 310; Brandes, Städte, 115-18; ODB II, 1164-65.

In addition to the seals of this see published by Laurent, see also the bulla of Leo of Kyzikos published in Zacos, Seals II, no. 552; cf. also SBS 3 [1993] 186.

Bibliography