Gregorios (Asbestas), archbishop of Sicily, 844-879. Seal (Lead, 32 mm, 27.51 g, 12 h). +CЄ ΠPOCKVN૪MЄN S TON ЄK C૪ ΠAPΘЄNЄ ("Maiden, we venerate you, and he who came forth from you"); in fields, monograms ΘЄOTOKЄ and BOHΘЄI ("Mother of God, help") Nimbate Theotokos “Nikopoios”, holding medallion of Christ with both hands. Rev. +TⲰ CⲰ / ΔOVΛⲰ ΓPH/ΓOPIⲰ APXIЄ/ΠICKOΠⲰ / CIKЄΛ,+ ("your servant Gregorios, archbishop of Sicily") in five lines. Laurent, Corpus V/1 887. A highly important seal from a very important early Byzantine bishop. Very fine.

Gregorios Asbestas had three tenures as archbishop of Sicily, beginning in 844, before he became the metropolitan bishop of Nicea in 879/80. He was a protégé of patriarch Methodios I and played a leading role in the church conflicts of his day in the aftermath of iconoclasm. Gregorios belonged to the 'moderate' party, as did Methodios I and the later patriarch Photios. Their main opponents were the Stoudite monks and Ignatios, who deposed and succeeded Photios as patriarch in 858. When the latter was reinstated in 877, Gregorios was the bishop who consecrated him