| Savoca Numismatik GmbH & Co. KG > Online Auction 261 | Silver | Auction date: 30 March 2025 |
| Lot number: 720 Price realized: 750 EUR (Approx. 810 USD) Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees. | Show similar lots on CoinArchives Find similar lots in upcoming auctions on  |
| Lot description: Theophilus AD 829-842. Syracuse Semissis AV 12 mm, 1,82 g ΘЄO-FILOS, draped bust of Theophilus facing, with short beard, wearing crown surmounted by cross, globus cruciger in right hand / ΘЄO-FILOS, bust of Theophilus facing, with short beard, wearing loros and crown surmounted by cross, globus cruciger in right hand. Nearly Mint State DOC 3, 26a ("traditional shape"); Sear 1673; Füeg, Nomismata; Anastasi, Sicilia 534 ("visi allungati"). Theophilus, the final and most extreme iconoclast ruler of the Byzantine Empire, is remembered for his strong opposition to religious imagery. He infamously forced his iconoclastic views upon monks, branding them with his poetry if they resisted his ban on icons in worship. However, his wife, Theodora, secretly supported the veneration of icons. For her own safety, she kept this hidden throughout their marriage, and even sent their children to stay with their iconophile grandmothers, where they were secretly taught to honor sacred images. Theophilus remained unaware of his wife's true beliefs. After his death, Theodora became regent for their young son, Michael III. In the following year, she convened a council that reversed the iconoclastic policies, restoring the veneration of icons throughout the empire. Iconoclasm would never again be officially supported, and it largely faded from Eastern Christianity. This restoration is commemorated on the first Sunday of Lent as the Feast of Orthodoxy. Theodora effectively governed for 14 years until Michael came of age, and many historians believe that her steady leadership helped turn the tide in the conflict with the Arabs in favor of Byzantium. The Orthodox Church later canonized her for her efforts to reinstate the veneration of icons. Theophilus' iconoclastic policies were deeply unpopular in the West, where the rejection of religious imagery had never been supported. As a result, he was disliked by the people in Byzantine territories in Italy, including Syracuse, where this coin was minted. Starting price: 600 EUR |  |
