Department of History and Archaeology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
The lintel above the southern entrance to the Middle Byzantine Church of Saint Anne in Trebizond is adorned with a high relief that has received only limited scholarly attention, despite the diverse interpretations it seems to have inspired over the centuries. This relief likely originates from a Roman sarcophagus and originally depicted a lance and shield-bearing soldier alongside a winged Nike. Considering the widespread veneration of the Archangel Michael in Asia Minor, it seems quite plausible that the Christian inhabitants of Trebizond recognized in this relief the features of this particular angel. Similarly, Christians may have perceived the soldier as a member of Michael's celestial army. It is also entirely possible that strategos and protospatharios Alexios, the founder of the church, chose this particular relief to commemorate an episode from his military career. Over the centuries, however, the initial interpretations of the sculpture appear to have been forgotten. Since then, various scholars have sought to reinterpret the relief, drawing occasionally on their personal knowledge and at other times on local traditions.