 Magister Melias (donor), Dovecote Church |
 Unknown Donor (possibly John Tzimiskes), Dovecote Church |
| INTERPRETATION OF THE IDENTITY OF THE TWO CAVALRYMEN IN THE DOVECOTE CHURCH, GOREME |
by Dr Raffaele D'Amato
(with the kind permission of Dr D'Amato)
Thierry, in his article "Un Portrait de Jean Tzimiskes en Cappadoce" in Travaux et Memoires 9, 1985, pp. 477-484, put forward a possible identification of the cavalrymen shown in the Dovecote Church at Goreme. He proposed that the paintings, executed between 963 and 969, commemorate the appointment of Ioannes (John) Tzimiskes as "Domestikos ton Scholai" (Domestic of the Schools) and commander of the East Roman armies in Anatolia.
At this time, Tzimiskes was still the right arm of Emperor Nikephoros Phokas, and his representation among the 40 military martyrs was intended psychologically to remind the soldiers of their mission as "Martyrs of Christendom" against the Muslims. The chief commander of the 40 Martyrs is represented, along with the youngest of them, Aghios (Saint) Militos - in Armenian Mleh, or in Greek Melias.
The 40 martyrs of Sebastea were put to death at nearby Caesarea (Kayseri) in 320 AD by order of Emperor Licinius. These saints were very popular among the troops in Kappadokia and in Anatolia, so representation of their commander as Commander in Chief of the actual Imperial army was intended to proclaim the "Holy War" of Byzantium against the Hagarites (the Arabians, the descendants of Hagar), as a war which required loyalty to the end, to the cause of Christ and his earthly representative, the Basileus.
Tzimiskes here is linked with Melias, an Armenian general who died between 928 and 934. He was the founder of the Lykandos Theme, as recorded on a seal published in Schlumberger, Sigillographie Byzantine, Paris, 1884, pp. 272-275. The Armenians in Byzantium were one of the most important elements in the Roman Army of this period, and there were many in the army recruited by Nikephoros in 964. The man shown here could be one of the leaders of this army.
It is not strange to find a man with the name of an ancient Saint represented both in his real nature and as a human embodiment of the Saint. The morale of the troops was greatly improved by seeing such men, because in the mystical vision of the world, Angels and Saints fought beside the troops against the enemies of the True Faith.
Practically, the best of the 10th century Armenian military aristocracy is represented here.
If the reconstruction of the inscription here is accurate, i.e.
K[YRI]E BOETHI TON DOULON SOU MELIAN MAGISTROS
LORD, SAVE YOUR SERVANT MELIAS THE MAGISTER
The first part of the second inscription could be interpreted as:
[I]O[AN]BA M SI[LE]OS TI
Iohannes of the Imperial Household
Perhaps an accurate picture of the armour and costume will help us to a better understanding. In any case we see before us one of the best representations of Nikephoros Phokas' army, fundamental for the study of 10th century East-Roman military equipment.
