Discovery of 1,000-year-old crown reveals Byzantine history
The ancient crown depicts King Constantine IX and two co-kings, raising controversy over their political roles during the Byzantine golden age.
Báo Khoa học và Đời sống•01/07/2025
In 1860, a farmer ploughing his fields in central Slovakia accidentally found a beautiful gold Byzantine crown. Photo: Alamy. For more than 100 years, experts debated whether the treasure belonged to the 11th-century king Constantine IX Monomachos and why the crown ended up in the northernmost part of the Byzantine Empire. Photo: thebyzantinelegacy.com.
According to dating results, experts determined that the rare crown was crafted around 1042 - 1050. Photo: thebyzantinelegacy.com. Constantine IX was the emperor who ruled the Byzantine Empire from 1042 to 1055. His surname was Monomachos, which means “one who fights alone,” or basically “gladiator” in Greek. Photo: thebyzantinelegacy.com. However, Constantine IX did not rule the Byzantine Empire alone. He co-ruled the country with his wife, Empress Zoë, and her sister, Theodora. Photo: medium.com.
Images of Constantine IX, Empress Zoë and Theodora were intricately carved on the rare crown. Photo: medium.com. Housed in the collection of the Hungarian National Museum in Budapest, the crown consists of seven gold plates. The largest plate is 11.5 centimeters high and depicts King Constantine IX, along with a Greek inscription on the central panel that reads: "Constantine, Emperor of the Romans, Monomachos." Photo: artstation.com. The two flanking King Constantine IX depict Queen Zoë on the right and Theodora on the left. Both are labeled "most pious" in Greek. Photo: artstation.com.
This crown is one of three Byzantine crowns found to date. Despite extensive research, experts have so far been unable to explain the meaning of the crown and how it was used. Photo: artstation.com. Readers are invited to watch the video : Revealing lost civilizations through archaeological remains.
Báo Khoa học và Đời sống•01/07/2025
Comment (0)