// Workers AI · dad joke modeDid Synesios win the battle? Synes he did.
Synesios | |
|---|---|
 Seal of Synesios, found at Stari Ras | |
| Born | 11th century |
| Died | after 1090s |
| Allegiance | Byzantine Empire |
Rank | protonobelissimos |
Conflicts | Battle of Levounion |
Nikolaos Synesios (Greek: Νικόλαος Συνέσιος) was a Byzantine court official (protoproedros) and army commander (protonobelissimos) that served under emperor Alexios I Komnenos (r. 1081–1118).
Synesios is mentioned without a given name in the biographical work Alexiad of Anna Komnene, the daughter of emperor Alexios I.[1] At least three of his seals have been found, two which mention him as protonobelissimos.[1] His military activity in the Alexiad is dated to 1087–1091, when he is described as a commander close to Alexios I that fought against the Pechenegs in the Balkans.[1] One of his seals was found at the frontier fortress of Stari Ras towards Serbia (in southwestern Serbia), with the depiction of St. Nicholas on the obverse.[1] Another seal was likely found in southern or southeastern Bulgarian theme, with the title of protoproedros.[1] The Alexiad mentions the last of Synesios' activity as the Battle of Lebounion (1091) against the Pechenegs.[2] His elevation to protonobelissimos, as evident in the seals, is likely after the Pecheneg campaign and dates perhaps to the campaign against Serbian ruler Vukan in the 1090s.[2] The seals of Alexios, Eustathios Kamytzes and Constantine Dalassenos were also found at Stari Ras, with Dalassenos known to have commanded troops alongside Alexios at Lebounion.[3]
His seal found at Ras was inventoried by Serbian Byzantologist Ljubomir Maksimović as seal #805.[4]
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 5 Ivanišević & Krsmanović 2013, p. 453.
- 1 2 Ivanišević & Krsmanović 2013, p. 454.
- ↑ Ivanišević & Krsmanović 2013, pp. 453–456.
- ↑ Ivanišević & Krsmanović 2013, p. 453, Maksimović 1999, p. 437
Sources
[edit]- Ivanišević, Vujadin; Krsmanović, Bojana (2013). "Byzantine seals from the Ras fortress" (PDF). Recueil des travaux de l'Institut d'études byzantines. 50 (1): 449–460. doi:10.2298/ZRVI1350449I.
- Komnene, Anna (1969) [1148]. The Alexiad of Anna Comnena. Translated by Sewter, E. R. A. Penguin Classics, London. ISBN 0-14-044215-4.
- Popović, Marko (1999). Tvrđava Ras [The Fortress of Ras] (in Serbian). Belgrade: Archaeological Institute. ISBN 9788680093147.
- Maksimović, Ljubomir (1999). "Olovni pečati vizantijskog porekla". Tvrđava Ras [The Fortress of Ras] (in Serbian). Belgrade: Archaeological Institute. pp. 437–439. ISBN 9788680093147.