JESUS CHRIST Class K Anonymous 1081AD FIRST CRUSADE Byzantine Follis Coin i34442

Description

Item:
i34442
Authentic Ancient Coin of:
Byzantine Empire
Anonymous Class K
Bronze Follis 24mm (5.10 grams)
Struck during the reign of
Alexius I
, Comnenus
Byzantine Emperor: 4 April 1081 – 15 August 1118 A.D.
Reference: Sear 1901
Bust of
Christ
facing , wearing a nimbus crown, pallium and colobium, and raising right hand in benediction; in left hand, book of Gospels; to left, IC; to right, XC; border of large pellets.
Three-qauarter length figure of the
Virgin orans
, nimbate and wearing pallium and maphorium; on either side of nimbus, M -
Θ or MP - ΘV; border of large pellets.
* Numismatic Note: Alexius I was the Byzantine emperor during the time of the First Crusade.
For more than a century, the production of Follis denomination Byzantine coins had religious Christian motifs which included included Jesus Christ, and even Virgin Mary. These coins were designed to honor Christ and recognize the subservient role of the Byzantine emperor, with many of the reverse inscriptions translating to "Jesus Christ King of Kings" and "May Jesus Christ Conquer". The Follis denomination coins were the largest bronze denomination coins issued by the Byzantine empire, and their large size, along with the Christian motif make them a popular coin type for collectors. This series ran from the period of Byzantine emperors John I (969-976 A.D.) to Alexius I (1081-1118 A.D.). The accepted classification was originally devised by Miss Margaret Thompson with her study of these types of coins. World famous numismatic author, David R. Sear adopted this classification system for his book entitled, Byzantine Coins and Their Values. The references about this coin site Mr. Sear's book by the number that they appear in that work.  The class types of coins included Class A1, Class A2, Class B, Class C, Class D, Class E, Class F, Class G, Class H, Class I, Class J, Class K. Read more and see examples of these coins by reading the JESUS CHRIST Anonymous Class A-N Byzantine Follis Coins Reference.
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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.
The
First Crusade
(1096–1099) started as a widespread pilgrimage (France and Germany) and ended as a military expedition by
Roman Catholic
Europe
to regain the
Holy Lands
taken in the
Muslim conquests
of the
Levant
(632–661), ultimately resulting in the
recapture of Jerusalem
in 1099. It was launched on 27 November 1095 by
Pope Urban II
with the primary goal of responding to an appeal from
Byzantine Emperor
Alexios I Komnenos
, who requested that western volunteers come to his aid and help to repel the invading
Seljuq Turks
from
Anatolia
. An additional goal soon became the principal objective—the Christian reconquest of the
sacred city of Jerusalem
and the Holy Land and the freeing of the
Eastern Christians
from
Islamic
rule.
During the crusade,
knights
and
peasants
from many nations of
Western Europe
travelled over land and by sea, first to
Constantinople
and then on towards
Jerusalem
. The Crusaders arrived at Jerusalem, launched an assault on the city, and captured it in July 1099, massacring many of the city's Muslim, Christian, and
Jewish
inhabitants. They also established the
crusader states
of the
Kingdom of Jerusalem
, the
County of Tripoli
, the
Principality of Antioch
, and the
County of Edessa
.
Because the First Crusade was largely concerned with Jerusalem, a city which had not been under Christian
dominion
for 461 years, and the crusader army refused to return the land to the control of the
Byzantine Empire
, the status of the First Crusade as defensive or as aggressive in nature remains controversial.
The First Crusade was part of the Christian response to the
Muslim conquests
, and was followed by the
Second
through
Ninth
Crusades, but the gains made lasted for less than 200 years. It was also the first major step towards reopening
international trade
in the West since the fall of the
Western Roman Empire
.
Alexios I Komnenos
,
Latinized
as
Alexius I Comnenus
(
Greek
:
Ἀλέξιος Α' Κομνηνός
, 1056 – 15 August 1118—note that some sources list his date of birth as 1048), was
Byzantine
emperor
from 1081 to 1118, and the
founder of the
Komnenian dynasty
. Inheriting a collapsing empire and faced with constant warfare during his reign against both the
Seljuk Turks
in
Asia Minor
and the
Normans
in the western
Balkans
, Alexios was able to halt the Byzantine decline and begin the military, financial, and territorial recovery known as the "
Komnenian restoration
". His appeals to Western Europe for help against the Turks were also the catalyst that triggered the
Crusades
.
//
Life
Alexios was the son of Ioannis Komnenos and
Anna Dalassena
, and the nephew of
Isaac I Komnenos
(emperor 1057–1059). Alexios' father declined the throne on the abdication of Isaac, who was accordingly succeeded by four emperors of other families between 1059 and 1081. Under one of these emperors,
Romanos IV Diogenes
(1067–1071), he served with distinction against the
Seljuk Turks
. Under
Michael VII Doukas
Parapinakes
(1071–1078) and
Nikephoros III Botaneiates
(1078–1081), he was also employed, along with his elder brother
Isaac
, against rebels in
Asia Minor
,
Thrace
, and in
Epirus
.
Alexios' mother wielded great influence during his reign, and he is described by his daughter, the historian
Anna Komnene
, as running next to the imperial chariot that she drove. In 1074, the rebel mercenaries in Asia Minor were successfully subdued, and, in 1078, he was appointed commander of the field army in the West by Nikephoros III. In this capacity, Alexios defeated the rebellions of
Nikephoros Bryennios the Elder
(whose son or grandson later married Alexios' daughter Anna) and
Nikephoros Basilakes
, the first at the
Battle of Kalavrye
and the latter in a surprise night attack on his camp. Alexios was ordered to march against his brother-in-law
Nikephoros Melissenos
in Asia Minor but refused to fight his kinsman. This did not, however, lead to a demotion, as Alexios was needed to counter the expected invasion of the
Normans
of Southern Italy, led by
Robert Guiscard
.
Conspiracy and revolt of the Komnenoi against Botaneites
While the Byzantine troops were assembling for the expedition, Alexios was approached by the Doukas faction at court, who convinced him to join a
conspiracy
against Nikephoros III. The mother of Alexios, Anna Dalassena, was to play a prominent role in this coup d'état of 1081, along with the current empress,
Maria of Alania
. First married to Michael VII Doukas and secondly to
Nikephoros III Botaneiates
, she was preoccupied with the future of her son by Michael VII,
Constantine Doukas
. Nikephoros III intended to leave the throne to one of his close relatives, and this resulted in Maria's ambivalence and alliance with the Komnenoi. The real driving force behind this political alliance was Anna Dalassene.
Already closely connected to the Komnenoi through Maria's cousin Irene to Isaac Komnenos, the Komnenoi brothers were able to see the empress under the pretense of a friendly family visit. Furthermore, to aid the conspiracy Maria had adopted Alexios as her son, though she was only five years older than he Maria was persuaded to do so on the advice of her own "Alans" and her eunuchs, who had been instigated to do his by Isaac Komnenos. Knowing Anna's tight hold on her family, it must have been with her implicit approval that he be adopted. As a result, Alexios and Constantine, Maria's son, were now adoptive brothers and both Isaac and Alexios took an oath that they would safeguard his rights as emperor. By secretly giving inside information to the Komnenoi, Maria was an invaluable ally.
As stated in the Alexiad, Isaac and Alexios left Constantinople in mid-February 1081 to raise an army against Botaneiates. However, when the time came, Anna quickly and surreptitiously mobilized the remainder of the family and took refuge in the
Hagia Sophia
. From there she negotiated with the emperor for the safety of family members left in the capital, while protesting her sons' innocence of hostile actions; under the falsehood of making a vesperal visit to worship at the church, she deliberately excluded the grandson of Botaneiates and his loyal tutor, met with Alexios and Isaac and fled for the forum of Constantine. The tutor found them missing and eventually found them on the palace grounds but she was able to convince him that they would return to the palace shortly. Then to gain entrance to both the outer and inner sanctuary of the church the women pretended to the gatekeepers that they were pilgrims from
Cappadocia
who had spent all their funds and wanted to worship before starting their return trip. However, before they were to gain entry into the sanctuary, Straboromanos and royal guards caught up with them to summon them back to the palace. Anna then protested that the family was in fear for their lives, her sons were loyal subjects (Alexios and Isaac were discovered absent without leave), and had learned of a plot by enemies of the Komnenoi to have them both blinded and had, therefore, fled the capital so they may continue to be of loyal service to the emperor. She refused to go with them and demanded that they allow her to pray to the Mother of God for protection. This request was granted and Anna then manifested her true theatrical and manipulative capabilities: "She was allowed to enter. As if she were weighed down with old age and worn out by grief, she walked slowly and when she approached the actual entrance to the sanctuary made two genuflections; on the third she sank to the floor and taking firm hold of the sacred doors, cried in a loud voice: "Unless my hands are cuff off, I will not leave this holy place except on one condition: that I receive the emperor's cross as guarantee of safety".
Nikephoros III Botaneiates was forced into a public vow that he would grant protection to the family. Straboromanos tried to give her his cross, but for Anna this was not sufficiently large enough so that all bystanders could witness the oath. She also demanded that the cross be personally sent by Botaneiates as a vow of his good faith. He obliged, sending a complete assurance for the family with his own cross. At the emperor's further insistence, and for their own protection they took refuge at the convent of Petrion, where eventually they were joined by Irene Doukaina's mother,
Maria of Bulgaria
.
Botaneiates allowed them to be treated as refugees rather than guests. They were allowed to have family members bring in their own food and were on good terms with the guards from whom they learned the latest news. Anna was highly successful in three important aspects of the revolt: she bought time for her sons to steal imperial horses from the stables and escape the city, she distracted the emperor and gave her sons time to gather and arm their troops and she gave a false sense of security to Botaneiates that there was no real treasonous coup against him. After bribing the Western troops who had guarded the city, Isaac and Alexios Komnenos entered the capital victoriously on April 1, 1081.
During this time, Alexios was rumored to be the lover of Empress
Maria of Alania
, the daughter of King
Bagrat IV of Georgia
, who had been successively married to
Michael VII
Doukas and his successor Nikephoros III Botaneiates, renowned for her beauty. Alexios arranged for Maria to stay on the palace grounds, and it was thought that Alexios was considering marrying the erstwhile empress. However, his mother consolidated the Doukas family connection by arranging the Emperor's marriage to
Irene Doukaina
, granddaughter of the
Caesar John Doukas
, the uncle of Michael VII, who would not have supported Alexios otherwise. As a measure intended to keep the support of the Doukai, Alexios restored
Constantine Doukas
, the young son of Michael VII and Maria, as co-emperor and a little later betrothed him to his own first-born daughter
Anna
, who moved into the Mangana Palace with her fiancé and his mother.
However, this situation changed drastically when Alexios' first son
John II Komnenos
was born in 1087: Anna's engagement to Constantine was dissolved, and she was moved to the main Palace to live with her mother and grandmother. Alexios became estranged from Maria, who was stripped of her imperial title and retired to a monastery, and Constantine Doukas was deprived of his status as co-emperor. Nevertheless, he remained in good relations with the imperial family and succumbed to his weak constitution soon afterwards.
Wars against the Normans, Pechenegs and Tzachas
Alexios' long reign of nearly thirty-seven years was full of struggle. At the very outset, he had to meet the formidable attack of the Normans (led by
Robert Guiscard
and his son
Bohemund
), who took
Dyrrhachium
and
Corfu
, and laid siege to
Larissa
in
Thessaly
(see
Battle of Dyrrhachium
). Alexios suffered several defeats before being able to strike back with success. He enhanced this by bribing the German king
Henry IV
with 360,000 gold pieces to attack the Normans in Italy, which forced the Normans to concentrate on their defenses at home in 1083–1084. He also secured the alliance of
Henry, Count of Monte Sant'Angelo
, who controlled the
Gargano Peninsula
and dated his charters by Alexios' reign. Henry's allegiance was to be the last example of Byzantine political control on peninsular Italy. The Norman danger ended for the time being with Robert Guiscard's death in 1085, and the Byzantines recovered most of their losses.
Next, Alexios had to deal with disturbances in
Thrace
, where the heretical sects of the
Bogomils
and the
Paulicians
revolted and made common cause with the
Pechenegs
from beyond the
Danube
. Paulician soldiers in imperial service likewise deserted during Alexios' battles with the Normans. As soon as the Norman threat had passed, Alexios set out to punish the rebels and deserters, confiscating their lands. This led to a further revolt near
Philippopolis
, and the commander of the field army in the west, Gregory Pakourianos, was defeated and killed in the ensuing battle. In 1087 the Pechenegs raided into Thrace and Alexios crossed into
Moesia
to retaliate but failed to take Dorostolon (
Silistra
). During his retreat, the emperor was surrounded and worn down by the Pechenegs, who forced him to sign a truce and pay protection money. In 1090 the Pechenegs invaded Thrace again, while
Tzachas
, the brother-in-law of the Sultan of
Rum
, launched a fleet and attempted to arrange a joint siege of Constantinople with the Pechenegs. Alexios overcame this crisis by entering into an alliance with a horde of 40,000
Cumans
, with whose help he crushed the Pechenegs at
Levounion
in Thrace on 29 April 1091.
This put an end to the Pecheneg threat, but in 1094 the Cumans began to raid the imperial territories in the Balkans. Led by a pretender claiming to be Constantine Diogenes, a long-dead son of the Emperor
Romanos IV
, the Cumans crossed the mountains and raided into eastern Thrace until their leader was eliminated at
Adrianople
. With the Balkans more or less pacified, Alexios could now turn his attention to
Asia Minor
, which had been almost completely overrun by the
Seljuk Turks
.
Byzantine-Seljuk Wars and the First Crusade
By the time Alexios ascended the throne, the Seljuks had taken most of Asia Minor. Alexios was able to secure much of the coastal regions by sending peasant soldiers to raid the Seljuk camps, but these victories were unable to stop the Turks ltogether. As early as 1090, Alexios had taken reconciliatory measures towards the
Papacy
, with the intention of seeking western support against the Seljuks. In 1095 his ambassadors appeared before
Pope Urban II
at the
Council of Piacenza
. The help which he wanted from the West was simply
mercenary
forces and not the immense hosts which arrived, to his consternation and embarrassment, after the pope preached the
First Crusade
at the
Council of Clermont
later that same year. Not quite ready to supply this number of people as they traversed his territories, the emperor saw his Balkan possessions subjected to further pillage at the hands of his own allies. Alexios dealt with the first disorganized group of Crusaders, led by the preacher
Peter the Hermit
, by sending them on to Asia Minor, where they were massacred by the Turks in 1096.
The second and much more formidable host of crusaders gradually made its way to
Constantinople
, led in sections by
Godfrey of Bouillon
,
Bohemund of Taranto
,
Raymond IV of Toulouse
and other important members of the western nobility. Alexios used the opportunity of meeting the crusader leaders separately as they arrived and extracting from them oaths of homage and the promise to turn over conquered lands to the
Byzantine Empire
. Transferring each contingent into Asia, Alexios promised to supply them with provisions in return for their oaths of homage. The crusade was a notable success for Byzantium, as Alexios now recovered a number of important cities and islands. The
crusader siege
of
Nicaea
forced the city to surrender to the emperor in 1097, and the subsequent crusader victory at
Dorylaion
allowed the Byzantine forces to recover much of western Asia Minor.
John Doukas
re-established Byzantine rule in
Chios
,
Rhodes
,
Smyrna
,
Ephesus
,
Sardis
, and
Philadelphia
in 1097–1099. This success is ascribed by Alexios' daughter Anna to his policy and diplomacy, but by the Latin historians of the crusade to his treachery and falseness. In 1099, a Byzantine fleet of 10 ships were sent to assist the Crusaders in capturing
Laodicea
and other coastal towns as far as
Tripoli
. The crusaders believed their oaths were made invalid when the Byzantine contingent under
Tatikios
failed to help them during the
siege of Antioch
; Bohemund, who had set himself up as
Prince of Antioch
, briefly went to war with Alexios in the Balkans, but was blockaded by the Byzantine forces and agreed to become Alexios' vassal by the
Treaty of Devol
in 1108.
Personal life
During the last twenty years of his life Alexios lost much of his popularity. The years were marked by persecution of the followers of the
Paulician
and
Bogomil
heresies—one of his last acts was to publicly burn at the stake
Basil
, a Bogomil leader, with whom he had engaged in a theological dispute. In spite of the success of the crusade, Alexios also had to repel numerous attempts on his territory by the Seljuks in 1110–1117.
Alexios was for many years under the strong influence of an
eminence grise
, his mother
Anna Dalassene
, a wise and immensely able politician whom, in a uniquely irregular fashion, he had crowned as
Augusta
instead of the rightful claimant to the title, his wife Irene Doukaina. Dalassena was the effective administrator of the Empire during Alexios' long absences in military campaigns: she was constantly at odds with her daughter-in-law and had assumed total responsibility for the upbringing and education of her granddaughter Anna Komnene.
Succession
Alexios' last years were also troubled by anxieties over the succession. Although he had crowned his son
John II Komnenos
co-emperor at the age of five in 1092, John's mother Irene Doukaina wished to alter the succession in favor of her daughter Anna and Anna's husband,
Nikephoros Bryennios the Younger
. Bryennios had been made
kaisar
(Caesar) and received the newly-created title of
panhypersebastos
("honoured above all"), and remained loyal to both Alexios and John. Nevertheless, the intrigues of Irene and Anna disturbed even Alexios' dying hours.
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