Alexius III Angelus BYZANTINE Coin CHRIST Saint Constantin I the Great 30300

Description

Item:
i33300
Authentic Ancient Coin of:
Byzantine - Alexius III Angelus - Emperor: 8 April 1195 - 17 July 1203 A.D.
Billon Aspron Trachy 24mm (1.79 grams) Struck 1195-1203 A.D.
Reference: Sear 2011
Bust of Christ facing, beardless, wearing nimbus crown, pallium and colobium, and
raising right hand in benediction; in left scroll.
Alexius on left and St. Constantine, bearded and nimbate on right both standing facing, holding
between them globe cross; each wears crown, divitision and loros.
Constantine
.
Saint
-
I the Great
Constantine
Ruling dynasties often exploit pomp and ceremony with the use of
regalia
:
crowns
,
robes
,
orb (globe) and scepters
You are bidding on the exact item pictured, provided with a Certificate of Authenticity and Lifetime Guarantee of Authenticity.
Leadership
cadres use
symbols
to reinforce their
position power
and provide a level of differentiation.
Clothing
frequently articulates rank or privilege, but accessories and external entities of varying functionality may also serve to mark out leaders - from
finger rings
to personal aircraft.
Presidential symbols
Presidential symbols include many various insignia or other devices to denote a president's position. Some symbols follow accepted constitutional or
diplomatic
standards:
flags
,
sashes
, entrance Marches or a
medallion
or
necklace
. The use of the symbols mostly occurs for domestic purposes.
Examples of such symbols include the
American
presidential march "
Hail to the Chief
", and the
presidential sashes
worn by the presidents of
Latin America
nations. More practical, semi-symbolic features also abound: bodyguards may lurk semi-overtly; a head of state may use a special aircraft (see for example
Air Force One
).
European presidents sometimes dress archaically for formal occasions. Such special clothing sets them apart - and may well militate against women aspiring to such high office when tradition expects them to wear (say)
knee-breeches
[
citation needed
]
.
Royal/Imperial symbols
Ruling dynasties often exploit pomp and ceremony with the use of
regalia
:
crowns
,
robes
,
orb and sceptres
, some of which are reflections of formerly practical objects. The use of language mechanisms also support this differentiation with subjects talking of "the crown" and/or of "the
throne
" rather than referring directly to personal names and items.
Monarchies
provide the most explicit demonstration of tools to strengthen the elevation of leaders. Thrones sit high on
daises
leading to subjects lifting their gaze (if they have permission) to contemplate the ruler. Architecture in general can set leaders apart: note the symbolism inherent in the very name of the Chinese imperial
Forbidden City
.
The culture and legends around the ruling family may build on myths of
divine-right
and describe the ruler or the
Son of Heaven
[
citation needed
]
.
Court
ceremonial highlights symbolic distance between a royal/imperial leader and follower, in a hierarchical system which cultivates a social system and power network around the monarch.
Bowing
and
curtseying
remain as examples of the self-abasement of
hand-sucking
, bowing and scraping,
prostration
,
kowtowing
and
proskynesis
formerly demanded.
Sometimes
colour
plays a special role in advertising monarchical status: thus the once very rare pink/maroon dye color became a symbol reserved for imperial clothing - see
purple
.
Archaic touches often symbolically recall a glorious historical past: thus horse-drawn
carriages
replace everyday motor-vehicles for royal state occasions, and
courtiers
and flunkeys in elaborate
dress
grant a sense of ancient distance. And monarchs emphasize the remaining traces of their
divine right
to rule when undergoing anointing at the hands of the Church during coronation ceremonies.
Socio-political leadership symbols
Overlapping with and/or emulating royalty, a
ruling class
or an
aristocracy
can devote much of its energy into "keeping up appearances" and emphasizing the purity of noble blood by apartness. Symbolism can aid this process cheaply. A
coat-of-arms
(perhaps in the form of a banner or on note-paper) or the wearing of a
sword
can incur less expense than maintaining a
stately home
. The visible presence of
servants
or
slaves
reminds underlings of
social distance
.
Patronage
, especially of
fashion
, provides one of the most symbolic attributes of social leaders or would-be leaders. Compare
conspicuous consumption
.
Military leadership symbols
Apart from more elaborate
uniform
and their distinguishing marks (
epaulettes
, caps,
medals
), senior military officers may traditionally carry a
baton
or affect a similar substitute (such as a
swagger stick
or
cane
). Compare
staff of office
.
Banners
,
pennants
and
guidons
serve (or served in the past) to identify leaders as rallying-points or field command-posts. Traces of these continue on
staff cars
or on naval ships, for example: see
broad pennant
and compare the concept and origin of a
flagship
.
Ecclesiastical leadership symbols
Religious dignitaries often use
vestments
to emphasize the overall sacred nature of their organization. But some touches identify leaders and make them more imposing: a bishop's
mitre
, for example, a cardinal's
red hat
, a papal
tiara
or a
papal ring
. Less flamboyant faiths may use subtler symbolism to set religious leadership, holiness or saintliness apart: the understated dark vestments of the Protestant clergyman, the relatively unobtrusive
clerical collar
, or even the nakedness of a stereotypical
Hindu
ascetic
fakir
.
Gender-related leadership symbols
Ownership of a
harem
has both practical and symbolic uses for leaders in traditional polygamous societies: harems spread genes and symbolically demonstrate wealth and status. Within such harems whole systems of symbolism may develop: the use of exclusive and inaccessible apartness,
veiling
, and the employment of
eunuchs
. Cultures which practise
serial monogamy
feature harem-analogous symbolism in the flaunting of
trophy wives
.
Items such as
codpieces
may suggest the assumed superiority of one
gender-role
over another: or symbolic leadership (implied by implied potency) within
patriarchal
structures. A slightly less extreme example, but one more common in modern times, expresses
power
relationships (and thus leadership symbolism) through the use of the phrase "wearing the
trousers
".
Ancient Egyptian
pharaohs
used a stylised artificial
labdanum
-soaked goats-hair
beard
as one of the regalia of rulership: a clear case of associating a male attribute with leadership.
Jesus of Nazareth
(
c.
5 BC/BCE –
c.
30 AD/CE), also referred to as
Jesus Christ
or simply
Jesus
, is the central figure of
Christianity
. Most
Christian denominations
venerate him as
God the Son
incarnated
and believe that he
rose from the dead
after being
crucified
.
The principal sources of information regarding Jesus are the four
canonical gospels
, and most
critical scholars
find them, at least the
Synoptic Gospels
, useful for reconstructing Jesus’ life and teachings. Some scholars believe apocryphal texts such as the
Gospel of Thomas
and the
Gospel according to the Hebrews
are also
relevant
.
Most critical historians agree that Jesus was a
Jew
who was regarded as a teacher and
healer
, that he
was baptized
by
John the Baptist
, and
was crucified
in
Jerusalem
on the orders of the
Roman Prefect
Judaea
,
Pontius Pilate
, on the charge of
sedition
against the
Roman Empire
. Critical Biblical scholars and historians have offered competing descriptions of Jesus as a self-described
Messiah
, as the leader of an apocalyptic movement, as an itinerant sage, as a charismatic healer, and as the founder of an independent religious movement. Most contemporary scholars of the
Historical Jesus
consider him to have been an independent, charismatic founder of a Jewish restoration movement, anticipating an imminent apocalypse. Other prominent scholars, however, contend that Jesus' "
Kingdom of God
" meant radical personal and social transformation instead of a future apocalypse.
Christians traditionally believe that Jesus was
born of a virgin
:529–32
performed
miracles
,
:358–59
founded
the Church
,
rose from the dead
, and
ascended
into
heaven
,
:616–20
from which he
will return
.
:1091–109
Most Christian scholars today present Jesus as the awaited Messiah promised in the
Old Testament
and as God, arguing that he fulfilled many Messianic prophecies of the
Old Testament
. The majority of Christians worship Jesus as the incarnation of God the Son, one of three divine persons of a
reject Trinitarianism
Trinity
, wholly or partly, believing it to be non-scriptural.
Alexios III Angelos
(
Greek
:
Αλέξιος Γ' Άγγελος
) (c. 1153 – 1211) was
Byzantine emperor
from 1195 to 1203.
//
Early life
Alexios III Angelos was the second son of Andronicos Angelos and Euphrosyne Castamonitissa. Andronicus was himself a son of Theodora Comnene, the youngest daughter of Emperor
Alexios I Komnenos
and
Irene Ducaena
. Thus Alexius Angelus was a member of the extended imperial family. Together with his father and brothers, Alexios had conspired against Emperor
Andronikos I Komnenos
(c. 1183), and thus he spent several years in exile in Muslim courts, including that of
Saladin
.
His younger brother
Isaac II Angelos
, was threatened with execution under orders of their first cousin once removed Andronicos I Comnenos on
September 11
,
1185
. Isaac made a desperate attack on the imperial agents and killed their leader
Stephanus Hagiochristophorites
. He then took refuge in the church of
Hagia Sophia
and from there appealed to the populace. His actions provoked a riot, which resulted in the deposition of Andronicus I, and the proclamation of Isaac II Angelus as emperor. Alexius was now closer to the imperial throne than ever before.
Reign
By 1190 Alexios Angelos had returned to the court of his younger brother, from whom he received the elevated title of
sebastokratōr
. In 1195, while Isaac II was away hunting in
Thrace
, Alexius was acclaimed as emperor by the troops with the conniving of Alexios' wife
Euphrosyne Ducaena Camatera
. Alexios captured Isaac at
Stagira
in
Macedonia
, put out his eyes, and thenceforth kept him a close prisoner, though he had been redeemed by him from captivity at
Antioch
and loaded with honours.
To compensate for this crime and to solidify his position as emperor, Alexios had to scatter money so lavishly as to empty his treasury, and to allow such licence to the officers of the army as to leave the Empire practically defenceless. He consummated the financial ruin of the state. In 1195, Holy Roman Emperor Henry VI forced Alexios III to pay him a tribute of 1,000 pounds of gold (originally 5,000 pounds of gold). The able and forceful empress Euphrosyne Ducaena Camatera tried in vain to sustain his credit and his court; Vatatzes, the favourite instrument of her attempts at reform, was
assassinated
by the emperor's orders.
In the east the Empire was overrun by the
Seljuk Turks
; from the north
Bulgarians
and
Vlachs
descended unchecked to ravage the plains of Macedonia and Thrace, and
Kaloyan of Bulgaria
annexed several important cities, while Alexius squandered the public treasure on his palaces and gardens and attempted to deal with the crisis through diplomatic means. The emperor's attempts to bolster the empire's defenses by special concessions to Byzantine and Bulgarian notables in the frontier zone backfired, as the latter built up regional autonomy. Byzantine authority survived, but in a much weakened state.
Fourth Crusade
Soon Alexios was threatened by a new and yet more formidable danger. In 1202 the Western princes assembled at
Venice
launched the
Fourth Crusade
.
Alexios IV Angelos
, the son of the deposed Isaac II, had recently escaped from
Constantinople
and now appealed to the crusaders, promising to end the
schism
of
East
and
West
, to pay for their transport, and to provide military support to the crusaders if they helped him to depose his uncle and sit on his father's throne.
The crusaders, whose objective had been
Egypt
, were persuaded to set their course for Constantinople before which they appeared in June 1203, proclaiming Alexios as emperor and inviting the populace of the capital to depose his uncle. Alexius III took no efficient measures to resist, and his attempts to bribe the crusaders failed. His son-in-law,
Theodore Lascaris
, who was the only one to attempt anything significant, was defeated at
Scutari
, and the siege of Constantinople began. Unfortunately for Constantinople, Alexius III's misgovernment had left the Byzantine navy with only 20 worm-eaten hulks by the time the Crusaders arrived.
In July, the crusaders, led by the aged
Doge
Enrico Dandolo
, scaled the walls and took control of a major section. In the ensuing fighting, the crusaders set the city on fire, ultimately leaving 20,000 people homeless. Alexios III finally took action, and led 17 divisions from the St. Romanus Gate, vastly outnumbering the crusaders. But his courage failed, and the Byzantine army returned to the city without a fight. His courtiers demanded action, and Alexius promised to fight. Instead, that night (July 17/18), Alexios III hid in the palace, and finally, with one of his daughters, Eirene, and such treasures (1,000 pounds of gold) as he could collect, got into a boat and escaped to
Develton
in
Thrace
, leaving his wife and his other daughters behind. Isaac II, drawn from his prison and robed once more in the imperial purple, received his son in state.
Life in exile
Alexius attempted to organize a resistance to the new regime from
Adrianople
and then
Mosynopolis
, where he was joined by the later usurper
Murtzuphlus
Alexius V Ducas
in April 1204, after the definitive fall of Constantinople to the crusaders and the establishment of the
Latin Empire
.
At first Alexios III received Alexius V well, even allowing him to marry his daughter
Eudocia Angelina
. Later Alexios V was blinded and deserted by his father-in-law, who fled from the crusaders into
Thessaly
. Here Alexius III eventually surrendered, with Euphrosyne, to Marquis
Boniface of Montferrat
, who was establishing himself as ruler of the
Kingdom of Thessalonica
.
Trying to escape Boniface's "protection", Alexius III attempted to seek shelter with
Michael I Ducas
, the ruler of
Epirus
, in 1205. Captured by Boniface, Alexius III and his retinue were sent to
Montferrat
, before being brought back to
Thessalonica
c. 1209. At that point the deposed emperor was ransomed by Michael I of Epirus, who sent him to
Asia Minor
, where Alexios' son-in-law
Theodore I Lascaris
of the
Empire of Nicaea
was holding his own against the Latins.
Here Alexios III conspired against his son-in-law after the latter refused to recognize Alexius' authority, and received the support of
Kay Khusrau I
, the
sultan
of
Rüm
. In the battle of
Antioch
on the
Maeander
in 1211, the sultan was defeated and killed, and Alexius III was captured by Theodore Lascaris. Alexius III was relegated to a
monastery
at
Nicaea
, where he died later in 1211.
Family
By his marriage to
Euphrosyne Doucaena Camaterina
Alexios had three daughters:
Eirene Angelina, who married (1) Andronicus Contostephanus, and (2) Alexius Palaeologus, by whom she was the grandmother of Emperor
Michael VIII Palaeologus
.
Anna Angelina
, who married (1) the
sebastokrator
Isaac Komnenos, great-nephew of emperor
Manuel I Comnenus
, and (2)
Theodore Lascaris
, emperor of Nicaea.
Eudocia Angelina
, who married (1) King
Prvovenčani
Stefan I
of
Serbia
, then (2) Emperor
Alexius V
, and (3)
Leo Sgouros
, ruler of
Corinth
.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long until my order is shipped?:
Depending on the volume of sales, it may take up to 5 business days for shipment of your order after the receipt of payment.
How will I know when the order was shipped?:
After your order has shipped, you will be left positive feedback, and that date should be used as a basis of estimating an arrival date.
After you shipped the order, how long will the mail take?
USPS First Class mail takes about 3-5 business days to arrive in the U.S., international shipping times cannot be estimated as they vary from country to country. I am not responsible for any USPS delivery delays, especially for an international package.
What is a certificate of authenticity and what guarantees do you give that the item is authentic?
Each of the items sold here, is provided with a Certificate of Authenticity, and a Lifetime Guarantee of Authenticity, issued by a world-renowned numismatic and antique expert that has identified over 10000 ancient coins and has provided them with the same guarantee. You will be quite happy with what you get with the COA; a professional presentation of the coin, with all of the relevant information and a picture of the coin you saw in the listing.
Compared to other certification companies, the certificate of authenticity is a -50 value. So buy a coin today and own a piece of history, guaranteed.
Is there a money back guarantee?
I offer a 30 day unconditional money back guarantee. I stand behind my coins and would be willing to exchange your order for either store credit towards other coins, or refund, minus shipping expenses, within 30 days from the receipt of your order. My goal is to have the returning customers for a lifetime, and I am so sure in my coins, their authenticity, numismatic value and beauty, I can offer such a guarantee.
Is there a number I can call you with questions about my order?
You can contact me directly via ask seller a question and request my telephone number, or go to my About Me Page to get my contact information only in regards to items purchased on eBay.
When should I leave feedback?
Once you receive your order, please leave a positive. Please don't leave any negative feedbacks, as it happens many times that people rush to leave feedback before letting sufficient time for the order to arrive. Also, if you sent an email, make sure to check for my reply in your messages before claiming that you didn't receive a response. The matter of fact is that any issues can be resolved, as reputation is most important to me. My goal is to provide superior products and quality of service.