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Epiphanios metropolitan of Rhodes (eighth century)

 
 

Obverse

Cruciform invocative monogram (type V); in the quarters: ΕΠΙΦΑ|ΝΙ. Wreath border.

Θεοτόκε βοήθει Ἐπιφανίῳ

Reverse

Inscription of three lines, decorations above and below. Wreath border.


ΜΙΤΡΟ
ΠΟΛΙΤΗ
..ΔΟΥ


μιτροπολίτῃ Ῥόδου

Obverse

Cruciform invocative monogram (type V); in the quarters: ΕΠΙΦΑ|ΝΙ. Wreath border.

Θεοτόκε βοήθει Ἐπιφανίῳ

Reverse

Inscription of three lines, decorations above and below. Wreath border.


ΜΙΤΡΟ
ΠΟΛΙΤΗ
..ΔΟΥ


μιτροπολίτῃ Ῥόδου

Accession number BZS.1958.106.5567
Diameter 28.0 mm; field: 22.0 mm
Previous Editions

DO Seals 2, no. 54.2.
Laurent, Corpus V/3, no. 1746 (misread as Συλλίου); and again, no. 1880, correctly from notes that he had taken in "Istanbul, Grand Bazaar" (obviously our specimen); Zacos-Veglery, no. 1874.

Translation

Θεοτόκε βοήθει Ἐπιφανίῳ μιτροπολίτῃ Ῥόδου.

Theotokos, help Epiphanios, metropolitan of Rhodes.

Commentary

If one ignores the invocation at the beginning, the rest of the inscription forms a twelve-syllable verse. Cf. H. Hunger, "Zur Metrik byzantinischer Siegellegenden," SBS 2 (1990) 31, and DO Seals 2, nos. 44.2 and 51.9.

The island of Rhodes was always wealthy. It belonged at first to the province of the Nesoi, but then became part of the theme of the Kibyrraiotai throughout the tenth and eleventh centuries. It had its own archon (Schumberger, Mélanges, 207; SBS 2 [1990] 258) and basilikos (DO Seals 2, no. 54.1). A doux of Rhodes will appear in the twelfth century.

The metropolis of Rhodes kept its rank throughout the centuries, but the number of its suffragans varied. We have the list of the metropolitans of this see, the Synodikon. See Laurent, Corpus V/1, 528; Fedalto, 203-5; Malamut, Iles, passim, esp. 242-44, 281-83, 300, 323, 325, 359, 365, 506; Gouillard, Synodikon, 113, 278-79; ODB III, 1791-92.

Bibliography