Abstract The association between relics and political authority emerged at a remarkably early stage, since Helena, the mother of the founder of the New Rome, Constantine the Great, discovered the True Cross and conveyed some of its fragments to Constantinople. It has long been asserted that relics invariably served as a form of political capital for the imperial power, which sought to intervene in ecclesiastical affairs and to proclaim its spiritual and moral supremacy. However, the historical reality proves far more complex, particularly in the decades following the restoration of the cult of icons, an event interpreted as a triumph of the iconodule Church over the iconoclast sovereigns. In this context, the political significance of relic translations underwent a profound transformation over the course of the ninth and tenth centuries. Initially harnessed by the Church to consolidate the success of iconodulism, this practice was subsequently reappropriated by the emperors under the Macedonian Dynasty.
Abstract This article provides a reappraisal of the Heraclii consular coinage by combining the coins (and seals) with later written chronicles and by approaching this unique phenomenon from the perspective of imperial representation as a mass medium. The combination of these sources will reveal that the hesitance to assume imperial status before reaching Constantinople, conveyed through the consular coin issues, can also be found in the later written chronicles, even though the two narratives are technically unconnected. Interpreting the consular coins in light of these Heraclian propaganda narratives allows for a better understanding of this pre-imperial representation that offered a possibility to represent the Heraclii as imperial claimants before being crowned in Constantinople. After the rebellion succeeded, the Heraclians never issued consular issues again. The once highly-coveted ancient office of consul was used one last time to support Heraclius’ illegitimate claim to the throne. Furthermore, the article will argue that the consular coins and seals should be viewed as a unique combination of ‘usurper coinage’ and consular issues, conveying a consciously ambiguous message that did not explicitly depict the Heraclii as emperors, but as something only emperors could be: consuls.
Abstract : This article presents Byzantine-period material uncovered during drilling excavations conducted by the İznik Museum in the Maltepe area, located within the city walls of İznik (Nicaea). The study first provides a concise overview of the architectural remains revealed during the investigations-most notably an opus sectile pavement dated to Late Antiquity-together with the broader archaeological context of the Maltepe region. The most remarkable discovery from the excavations is a bronze lighting device in the form of a human forearm terminating in a clenched fist, belonging to a distinctive group of Byzantine candlesticks or lamp holders fashioned as arms. The article introduces this arm-shaped lighting device and evaluates it through comparison with related specimens. On the basis of typological parallels and the regional historical context, the İznik example is dated between the mid-eleventh and mid-thirteenth centuries.
