The monastery of Docheiariou (eleventh/twelfth century)
Obverse
Bust of St. Michael wearing loros and holding long scepter and globe. Inscription: ΜΧ: Μιχαήλ. Border of dots.
Reverse
Inscription of four lines. Border of dots.
ΣΦΡΑΓ,
ΜΟΝΗΣ
ΤΔΟΧΕΙ
ΑΡΙΟΥ
Σφραγὶς μονῆς τοῦ Δοχειαρίου
Obverse
Bust of St. Michael wearing loros and holding long scepter and globe. Inscription: ΜΧ: Μιχαήλ. Border of dots.
Reverse
Inscription of four lines. Border of dots.
ΣΦΡΑΓ,
ΜΟΝΗΣ
ΤΔΟΧΕΙ
ΑΡΙΟΥ
Σφραγὶς μονῆς τοῦ Δοχειαρίου
| Accession number | BZS.1951.31.5.3278 |
|---|---|
| Diameter | 16.0 mm; field: 13.0 mm |
| Previous Editions | DO Seals 1, no. 28.2. |
| Credit Line | Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Bequest of Thomas Whittemore. |
Translation
Σφραγὶς μονῆς τοῦ Δοχειαρίου.
Seal of the monastery of Docheiariou.
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)
- Βυζαντιακὰ μολυβδόβουλλα τοῦ ἐν ἈΘήναις Ἐθνικοῦ Νομισματικοῦ Μουσείου (Open in Zotero)
- Le Corpus des sceaux de l’empire byzantin (Open in Zotero)
- Actes du Prôtaton (Open in Zotero)
- Actes de Docheiariou (Open in Zotero)
Commentary
The monastery of Docheiariou, initially dedicated to St. Nicholas, was first situated in Daphni. It then moved inland, and was finally established in its present location and dedicated to St. Michael sometime between 1083 and 1108 (see Oikonomides, Docheiariou). This seal is presumably from the period after the church was renamed, although it is conceivable that the image of St. Michael might just as well indicate a specific devotion that led us to its rededication.
The peninsula of Mount Athos was a territory reserved for monks from the ninth century on. The origins and early history of the monastic community, which from the beginning was dedicated to the Virgin, are discussed by Denise Papachryssanthou in Prôtaton. The central administration, located in the town of Karyes, was supervised by an elected protos, who together with his council, also administrated communal properties, while the monasteries maintained their independence.