On the Golden Chamber/Kouboukleion

Name of text: On the Golden Chamber/Kouboukleion
Author of text: Nicholas Kallikles
Date of text: c. 1118
Date of person in text: Emperor Alexios 1081-1118
Name of structure in text: Kouboukleion
Type of structure in text: Blachernai Palace
Date of structure in text ca. 500
Century of structure 1: 6 AD
Century of structure 2:
Country in text: Turkey
Region in text:
City in text: Constantinople
Specific place of mosaic in text:
Description of mosaic in text:

According to Magdalino and Nelson the decoration comprised:

(a) a picture or series of pictures showing Alexios’ triumphant over his Norman, Pecheneg and Turkish enemies.
(b) a picture of Alexios deceased.
(c) representations of John and the sun in an attitude of mourning.
Mosaic date in text: 12 AD
Tesserae silver mentioned in text? No
Tesserae gold mentioned in text? Yes
Colour descriptions in text:
Bibliography:

L. Sternbach, Nikoiai Calliclis carmina’, Rozprawy Akademii Umiejetnosci, Wydziat filologiczny (Krakow), 2nd series, 21 (1904), 315-92, see pp. 338-40.

Quoted in Magdalino, P. and R. Nelson, ‘The Emperor in Byzantine Art of the Twelfth Century’, Byzantinische Forschungen, 8 (1982), 123-183, see pp. 126-7
URLs:
Comments: Poem does not specify mosaic.  However, mention of gold ornament indicates gold mosaic, and the rest of the poem suggests this was a background to a pictorial cycle, as described above.

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