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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Gary Waddingham, post: 2927403, member: 73648&quot;][ATTACH=full]710123[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]710124[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Here is the St. Nicholas coin.&nbsp; Here also is a map of the Byzantine empire under Michael VIII taken from Sear&#039;s book on Byzantine coins.&nbsp; It has shrunk considerably.&nbsp; The Byzantines usually used military saints such as Demetrius (os), George, Michael the Archangel, George, and Theodore {who was originally one saint and became Theodore the General (Stratelates) and St. Theodore the recruit (Tyro) for class reasons}. A mighty empire needed military saints.&nbsp; They were often portrayed with swords in hand.&nbsp; A Byzantine soldier killing a man in the field was required to do thirty days penance (psychologically and spiritually useful whatever you might think).&nbsp; From the seventh century on, Muslim armies were full of young men promised willing virgins in paradise, a distinct recruiting edge.&nbsp; Perhaps Michael VIII used St. Nicholas because he was the last resort of the weak.&nbsp; He was the patron saint of sailors, children and prostitutes, all categories of people who were at the will of factors not of their own making.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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