Bronze amuletic circular medallion; at the top, a suspension hole.

Side A: Holy Rider, nimbate, piercing a female demon with his spear, which terminates in a cross. To the left and right of the cruciform termination, a star. To the right of the rider, a standing angel, also nimbate, turned away from the rider, gesturing with his right hand and brandishing a cross-ended spear in his left hand. In the lower register, below the horse and the angel, a prostrate female demon. A Greek text with a circular ductus runs along the edge: αγιοσαγιοσαγιοσκσσαβαωθπληρησοουρανοσκσ̣γ̣ι̣ → ἅγιος, ἅγιος, ἅγιος κ(ύριο)ς Σαβαώθ, πλήρης ὁ οὐρανὸς κ{σ} γ{ι}<ῆ> (scil. τῆς δόξης αὐτοῦ). ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts, the heaven and earth are full [of his glory]’ (an adaptation of Isaiah 6:3).
Side B: In the upper register, at the centre, an oval, segmented cone with a cross inscribed within a circle at the top, likely representing the Golgotha. To the left, a male bust with a flame-like crown, holding a palm leaf in the left hand while raising the right one; to the right, a female bust with a crescent-shaped tiara, holding a palm leaf in her right hand. In the lower register, a lion attacking the evil eye (to the utmost right, next to his head); below lies the female demon. Greek text runs around the edge: σφραγισσολομονοσβοηθητουφορυντημηχαιλ → σφραγὶς Σολομ{o}<ῶ>νος, βοήθ{η}<ι> τ{ου}<ῷ> φοροῦντ{η}<ι>· Μ{η}<ι>χα{ι}<ή>λ. ‘Seal of Solomon, help the wearer [of this amulet], Michael.’ It is unclear whether the name ‘Michael’ denotes the beneficiary or is to be understood as a performative invocation of the homonymous archangel.
All N on the medallion are written in reverse.

J. Franek
w/ Phoinix-team, 2025

Unpublished.

✓