For the Iconography of Holy Riders – Warrior Saints in Byzantine Sigillography: St. George

Ural Federal University ,Valery Stepanenko

doi:10.15826/adsv.2019.47.005

Abstract

The article publishes a Byzantine lead seal from the collection of the State Hermitage Museum with the image of the holy rider – warrior saint. Images of holy riders – warrior saints are known in Byzantine sphragistics in several iconographic types: a horseman with a spear in his hands and a cloak fluttering behind his back; a triumphant sitting on a solemnly walking horse with a spear in his hands; an armed or unarmed rider on a horse galloping. The author suggests that the published seal depicts St. George. The image of St. George is known both in the variants of the iconographic types described, and in the rarest type of dragon warrior to date, apparently not too popular in Byzantium. Discussing the question of the appearance of this iconography saint warriors-riders, the author of the article notes that the published seal can be dated not to the X century, but to the XI century, or it should be recognized that our ideas about the linear and sequential development of iconography of the warrior saints are incorrect and all iconographic images types of warrior saints existed at the same time.

Highlights

Images of holy riders – warrior saints are known in Byzantine sphragistics in several iconographic types: a horseman with a spear in his hands and a cloak fluttering behind his back; a triumphant sitting on a solemnly walking horse with a spear in his hands; an armed or unarmed rider on a horse galloping
Discussing the question of the appearance of this iconography saint warriors-riders, the author of the article notes that the published seal can be dated not to the X century, but to the XI century, or it should be recognized that our ideas about the linear and sequential development of iconography of the warrior saints are incorrect and all iconographic images types of warrior saints existed at the same time
The article publishes a Byzantine lead seal from the collection of the State Hermitage Museum with the image of the holy rider – warrior saint

Summary

Introduction

К ИКОНОГРАФИИ СВЯТЫХ ВОИНОВ-ВСАДНИКОВ В ВИЗАНТИЙСКОЙ СФРАГИСТИКЕ: СВ. Образы святых воинов-всадников известны в византийской сфрагистике в нескольких иконографических типах: всадник с копьем в руках и развевающимся за спиной плащом; триумфатор, сидящий на торжественно шагающем коне с копьем в руках; вооруженный или безоружный всадник на коне, скачущем галопом. Георгия известен как в вариантах описанных иконографических типов, так и в редчайшем на сегодняшний день типе воина-драконоборца, по-видимому, не слишком популярном в Византии. Георгия в частности[2] на фоне огромного количества весьма различных по иконографии изображений святых воинов на печатях Х–ХIII вв.

Results

Conclusion