Opulsola..it's up to us to revive the Thread. :)
As about the picture you posted...
I will post an original image
This is an icon of Christ Pantokrator in Hermitage Museum.
It is fine painted , but its historical significance lies in the two figures painted in the bottom corners of it.
This icon comes from the Pantokrator Monastery in Mount Athos and dates short after its built in 1357.
The two figures depict the founders of the Monastery the brothers Ioannis and Alexios.
Ioannis was Megas Primecirius and Alexios Megas Stratopedarches , High Ranks in Byzantine (Romaic) Novelty.
Note the robe with double head eagles and the luxurius hat, identical to the person on the left in the picture u posted.
"The title
megas stratopedarchēs ("grand master of the camp") was instituted ca. 1255 by the Emperor
Theodore II Laskaris (r. 1254–1258) for his chief minister and confidante,
George Mouzalon.
[5] The mid-14th century
Book of Offices of
pseudo-Kodinos places the
megas stratopedarchēs as the seventh-most senior official of the state below the emperor, ranking between the
prōtostratōr and the
megas primmikērios. Kodinos claims that he was in charge of provisioning the army, and places four subordinate
stratopedarchai under his command: those of the
monokaballoi (μονοκάβαλλοι, "single-horsemen"), a cavalry unit; the
tzangratores (τζαγγράτορες, "
crossbow-men"); the
tzakōnes (τζάκωνες, "
Tsakonians"), a palace guard originally composed of
marines; and the
mourtatoi (μουρτάτοι), whom Kodinos presents as palace guards, but whose real nature remains obscure.
[4][6] In reality however, in the
Palaiologan period the
[megas] stratopedarchēs was most likely a mere court title, and did not necessarily entail a military command.
[4]" wiki
"In the late 11th century, the dignity of
megas prim(m)ikērios ("Grand Primicerius") was established, which ranked very high in court hierarchy well into the
Palaiologan period, where he functioned as a chief of ceremonies.
Primmikērioi continue to be in evidence in the Byzantine Empire and the
Despotate of Morea until their fall to the
Ottomans.
[1]" wiki
----------------
The two brothers governed Christoupolis (modern Kavala) ,Thassos and the surrounding area of Macedonia, to Strymon River from 1365 (maybe 1350) to 1384. They defended and expanded their territory against Serbs and Turks...and asked aid from Venice.
Alexios died in 1363, possibly defending Thassos island from the Turks, while his brother finally became a monk in the monastery they built in 1384, probably disappointed and unable to react to the advance of Turks.
He died after a couple of years,in 1386.
Their tomb and some personal belongings (not the robe though:) ) are still preserved in Pantokrator Monastery in Athos.